Storytelling in the New Hollywood: Understanding Classical Narrative Technique
ThompsonAcoauthor of The Classical Hollywood CinemaAdoesn't agree with current film historians who claim that a "post-classical" style (fragmentary scenes often built around spectacular stunts, stars, and special effects) now dominates American moviemaking. The classical narrative style, a unified narrative of an easily understood chain of cause and effect with a goal-oriented protagonist that was popularized in Hollywood's Golden Age, remains the norm. To prove her point, she analyzes the narrative structure of ten popular films of the 1980sAincluding Amadeus, Alien, Tootsie, and Parenthood. This analysis of individual films forms the bulk of the book. Thompson also takes the opportunity to critique another popular notionAthe three-act pattern predominant in Hollywood screenwriting manuals. She prefers a film structure divided into four parts of roughly equal screen time: the setup, the complicating action, the development, and the climax. Well argued and well presented, this book is recommended for academic and special subject collections.AMarianne Cawley, Charleston Cty. Lib., SCCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.