Film Essays and Criticism

This is an English translation of Arnheim's ""Kritiken und Aufsatze zum Film"", which collects both film reviews and theoretical essays, most of them written between 1925 and 1940. Arnheim began writing about film in the 1920s for a satirical magazine, ""Das Stachelschwein"" and later became a film critic for ""Die Weltbuhne"". His most important contributions to both magazines are published here, including comments on the silent and early sound period, incorporating some of Buster Keaton's films. The 30 essays on film theory discuss elements of theory; early sound film; production; style and content; and the relationship of film and the state. The 56 critical pieces include Arnheim's thoughts on the practice of film criticism, his reviews of German, American, French and Soviet films, and his profiles of Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, Felix Bressart, Erich von Stroheim, and others.