• Provides an engaging overview of the defining moments in the history of cinema
• Explores cultural, aesthetic, and technological changes in film, such as the rise of home viewing with videos and DVDs and even on mobile phones
• Looks at the cinema industry, discussing the rise of Hollywood and its competitors and other national film industries

Cinema was the first, and is arguably still the greatest, of the industrialized art forms that came to dominate the cultural life of the twentieth century. Today, it continues to adapt and grow as new technologies and viewing platforms become available, and remains an integral cultural and aesthetic entertainment experience for people the world over.

Cinema developed against the backdrop of the two world wars, and over the years has seen smaller wars, revolutions, and profound social changes. Its history reflects this changing landscape, and, more than any other art form, developments in technology. In this Very Short Introduction, Nowell-Smith looks at the defining moments of the industry, from silent to sound, black and white to colour, and considers its genres from intellectual art house to mass market entertainment.