Narration in the Fiction Film - David Bordwell

Most films tell tales, but what does that involve? How do motion
pictures tease us into building what we all agree to call stories? In
this study, David Bordwell offers the first comprehensive account of how
movies use fundamental principles of narrative representation, unique
features of the film medium, and diverse story-telling patterns to
construct their fictional narratives. The result is a pioneering,
far-reaching work which will change the way we perceive narrative
film-and which every serious film scholar, student or fan will welcome.

"This book is of crucial importance to film specialists. I cannot think
that any film teacher/scholar would miss reading this work."-Don
Fredricksen, Cornell University

"David Bordwell's Narration in the Fiction Film is a major
contribution to film studies and to narrative theory. The work, I
predict, will be widely read, praised, debated, and damned. Brodwell's
originality lies not so much in demonstrating the deficiencies of other
theories, which he does very convincingly, but in the scope and design
of his project, against which there is no competition of comparable
intellectual weight."-Jerry Carlson, DePaul University