Cinema: The Whole Story

Few would dispute that E.H. Gombrich’s The Story of Art is the finest book on its subject. But opinion is more divided where cinema is concerned. David A. Cook’s A History of Narrative Film usually vies for pole position with Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell’s Film History: An Introduction and Geoffrey Nowell-Smith’s The Oxford History of World Cinema. And Mark Cousins’s The Story of Film undoubtedly set a new benchmark.

Edited with typical precision by Kemp, Cinema: The Whole Story is a handsome addition to the shelf. The illustrations are exceptional and the scholarship of such critics as Kim Newman, Geoffrey Macnab and Jonathan Romney is impeccable.

However, it scarcely lives up to its subtitle and in attempting to present the discussion of the movements, genres and wider socio-cultural events that transformed a flickering novelty into a billion-dollar industry, Kemp has produced a book that will appeal more to browsers than readers.

Structured by decade, the layout is modishly busy and seems better suited to an Internet page than print. However, Kemp wisely concentrates the core essays on the pivotal national traditions and generic developments, further illuminated with reviews of two or three undisputed classics.

Yet, while this ensures a lively and accessible introduction to the major movies and talents within the commercial and arthouse spheres, there is precious little coverage of documentary, underground or avant-garde film and almost nothing on technical innovation.

Nevertheless, this remains a dipper’s delight, with plenty of erudite expertise and astute insight to entertain and enlighten even the keenest screen aficionado.