The transition from silent film to sound film was one of the most turbulent and important parts of movie history. Yet somehow it remains quite underwritten about. Sure, there are plenty of books about directors or actors who worked in both silent and sound pictures that briefly discuss this transition. Despite this there are few books that discuss this transition in great detail. That is what makes this book so important to film buffs.
Scott Eyman is one of the finest writers about movie history and this masterpiece of a book stands as one of his best. It discusses this transition in great detail. The writing and research here are phenomenal creating a book that is a great read for those who are not well versed in films of this era but will still very incredibly informative to longtime old movie buffs. Once I started reading this book, it was hard to put it down. Eyman's writing style makes this an easy and gripping read having as great of a mastery of the English language as any novelist. Because of this despite the sheer amount of information here, it does not read as a textbook. Rather it creates an absorbing portrait of a time and place. It also delves not only into the films of this movement but the people that played an important role in this transition. The biographical information about such important figures as The Brothers Warner, William Fox, F.W. Murnau and Al Jolson among others give us a personal investment in these films and the people making them. Helping this book paint such a vivid picture of the time and place are tons of very open, honest and informative quotes for those who worked in the movie industry at this time. These quotes alone would worth the price of the book.
Eyman also displays an incredible knack for film analysis. When he writes about the quality of these films, he doesn't stop at simply saying if they are good or bad. Instead, he takes a deep delve into not only the acting and writing but the technical aspects as well. The best thing film criticism can do and is to cause you to look at a movie in a new way. I have seen some of the films discussed in this book many times before. However, after reading this book, I now see them in a completely different way with a new understanding of why some of them work and some don't.
This book is essential reading to anyone with even only a passing interest in film history.
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