Product Description

With a revival of cinema-going, new technologies transforming
our engagement with films, and new television channels enabling us both to
see more films and to find out more about them, our culture is becoming
increasingly film-literate. It is therefore more important than ever before
that Christians should understand the significance of films within our
culture and be able to engage with them. Film is a wonderfully rich medium.
We see a rapid succession of moving images - in a cinema we see them on a
huge scale. The images are accompanied by dialogue, sound effects and a
musical score. All these elements combine to create meaning - to tell a
story that may resonate with our own experience, or perhaps move us or make
us laugh, excite us or scare us.

It is important for our ongoing Christian growth that we learn to watch
films thoughtfully rather than let them wash over us, seeing them as mere
entertainment. It is important for our ability to relate to our friends
that we learn to understand the messages which films communicate and how
they relate to the good news of Jesus Christ.

So this is a book about understanding films. We will consider how films
communicate their messages and how we can engage with them, digging beneath
the surface to think about beliefs and values. It can seem like a
formidable challenge at first, but as with everything it gets easier the
more practice you get. A number of people over the years have suggested
that it rather spoils our entertainment to be thinking critically at the
same time. I don't think so - at least, in the longer term. In the short
term, while getting used to thinking about films in this way, it may feel
more like hard work than enjoyment. But as one becomes familiar with this
way of thinking, it begins to be second nature, an integral part of
watching a movie. In fact, rather than diminish our pleasure, I would argue
that before too long it positively enhances it.

Film-makers put a great deal of effort into their work. So we will be
rewarded for paying closer attention to what we see and hear. We will spot
more of the connections - both between one part of the film and another,
and between one particular film and other films, books and other aspects of
culture. We will discover deeper levels of meaning and understand more
fully what the film-maker wanted to communicate - as well as that which he
or she communicated unwittingly (as Federico Fellini once remarked, `Even
if I set out to make a film about a fillet of sole, it would be about me').
My experience is that this is an altogether richer encounter with a film,
and one which thus deepens and extends my enjoyment. It is just the same
with all other arts - the more we understand, the more we gain from each
experience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #476469 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 248 pages

Daniel Strange, Lecturer in Culture, Religion and Public Theology, Oak Hill Theological College, London
All of us know the influence of film in contemporary society but
we often lack the necessary equipment to both understand and engage with
the medium. With no reliable compass, Christians can often stray into the
territories of Irrational Avoidance, Dangerous Assimilation or Embarrassing
'Christianizing'. Tony Watkins knows about films and film making, but more
importantly he has developed an all-encompassing Christian worldview
through which he can faithfully analyse the medium. In this book, he gives
us a map of biblical reality that will enable Christians to penetrate
deeply into The Art and Soul of Cinema. For our own holiness, for those we
seek to evangelise, and for Christ's Lordship over all of culture
(including film) this book is a welcome help and guide.

Chris Sinkinson, Pastor and lecturer in apologetics, Moorlands College
This is an extremely insightful guide to the movies. It will help
anyone engage thoughtfully with what films are trying to say in our
contemporary culture. Covering a wide range of film, classic and modern,
Tony Watkins demonstrates the importance of understanding the worldviews
that have influenced them. I highly recommend reading this book before your
next trip to the multiplex!

Jock McGregor, L'Abri Fellowship, Rochester, Massachusetts
Nothing shapes the imagination of this generation more than the
movies. There is no better channel for engaging with the ideas of the
culture nor a more pressing area for Christian discernment. Tony Watkins
has produced an excellent introduction to the whole subject -
comprehensive, balanced, readable and immanently useful. Focus: The Art and
Soul of Cinema will help orient you to both the opportunities and the
challenges of our media-saturated culture.

Customer Reviews

An excellent guide for all who love film
Having been studying Media With Cultural studies at university, this book has been a great follow on to apply my Christian faith to my knowledge of film and culture. Any one with an interest in watching or studying film, and is looking at how christians in contemporary society can engage with film, should read this book.

Tony has a great way of mixing examples of films, bible references, and his own knowledge of both to create a brilliant and easy to understand read. The book really helps you to look deeper into how culture is created, and how we should be engaging with it.

An excellent book.

An Excellent resource for getting to the heart of films
This book explores both the art and the soul of cinema (hence the subtitle). Some of the mechanics of film making are looked at with the emphasis on how this adds to the message of the film. The heart of this book examines how films communicate, how they are profoundly meaningful and worthy of serious thought and critical engagement.

Overall, an excellent resource, full of helpful examples to make going to the cinema, or thinking about film, a more fruitful and enjoyable experience. Essential for anyone studying film and media as well as for anyone who wants to go beyond the superficial and think about how films are fundamentally spiritual.