Movies and Methods Vol. I & II: A Critical Review

Introduction to Nichols' Anthologies

Both teachers and students of film would likely welcome Bill Nichols' Movies and Methods anthologies, even though the first volume was written in 1976. Some things do not go out of date, and even though much has happened since the 1970s, many classic works on film remain very worthy of study. Books like these are therefore a strong choice for anyone studying the medium. Together, the two volumes offer a comprehensive collection of theoretical writing on film, and because literature dealing with movies is often scattered across many different publications, bringing these works together in one place provides significant value to readers who might otherwise overlook important material.

Movies and Methods Volume I: Scope and Organization

Almost all of the films and articles included in Nichols' first anthology came from the fifteen years immediately before the work was published. Most of those works come from the original thinkers of the era where film is concerned. Some of these figures are widely known to the general public, while others are more familiar only to readers of film journals. Several filmmakers who were especially important during that period also figure prominently in the book. By representing both filmmakers and film thinkers, Nichols is able to show that many issues surrounded filmmaking at the time, and that those who watched, reviewed, and critiqued films held a wide range of ideas about what these films offered and their value to society.

Nichols grouped the materials into categories he considered critical, reflecting the various approaches to film taken during that period. Understanding the approaches filmmakers took to their work is valuable for determining what a filmmaker was trying to say through a given film. The same is true for the critical articles included, because the writers of those pieces had to work from a particular platform — a reason for writing from a specific angle. Since this is the case, there are often many ways to look at a filmmaker or a film, and understanding which perspective a critic adopted goes further than one might expect toward explaining why something was ultimately argued in a particular way.

Many older film books are preoccupied with questions such as how film relates to other art forms or whether it can capture an imprint of reality. This volume, by contrast, is much more concerned with issues such as the nature of different film genres, ideological operations, and the representation of various social groups — including women and minorities — both in the film industry and in films themselves. The formal organization and logical narration of films are also examined, as are questions of whether films function as myths and what theoretical perspectives apply to various types of films. As film theory developed through this period, Nichols' selection reflects those evolving concerns with exceptional breadth.

Theoretical Methods in Volume I

Because this volume differs so markedly from earlier books about film, its contents reflect a wide range of methods. First, there is the more traditional criticism found across many books on art subjects. Beyond that, however, the volume also addresses political methods, structuralist thinking, and both psychoanalytic and semiological methods. These approaches are important to the concepts Nichols is working to convey — namely, that there is far more to film, filmmaking, and the people who create films than most are willing to see and appreciate. These areas of the art world have generally been viewed only in certain prescribed ways, and abstract thinking about them is not especially common. This is somewhat paradoxical, given that the art world might seem to be precisely where abstract thinking would be most welcome.

Another major benefit of the volume is that there is almost no duplication with other anthologies of the same period and genre, preventing the work from becoming redundant. A general introduction is included, but Nichols also provides short introductions to each individual text so that readers do not get lost in the volume of information. A glossary of terms is included to address potential confusion around structuralist-semiological concepts, and further readings are suggested so that readers can explore specific areas in greater depth. Because of its careful organization and broad scope, this volume remains a foundational resource for teaching film even decades after its publication.