Movies
There's always been a certain sense of magic surrounding the movies. Good movies are remarkably effective at conveying drama and evoking emotion, and they allow spectators to immerse themselves in the world of the film. Emerging at the end of the 19th century, this art form became one of the most popular and influential media and was perhaps the first truly mass form of entertainment.
Movies Encyclopedia Articles
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Dardenne brothers
Dardenne brothers, Belgian filmmakers known for their starkly realistic approach to working-class themes and characters. In addition to directing, Jean-Pierre Dardenne (b. April 21, 1951, Engis, Belgium)...
West Side Story
West Side Story, American musical film, released in 1961, that was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The movie, filled with exhilarating dance sequences choreographed by Jerome Robbins and memorable...
film
Film, series of still photographs on film, projected in rapid succession onto a screen by means of light. Because of the optical phenomenon known as persistence of vision, this gives the illusion of actual,...
film noir
Film noir, style of filmmaking characterized by such elements as cynical heroes, stark lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots, and an underlying existentialist philosophy. The genre...
western
Western, a genre of novels and short stories, motion pictures, and television and radio shows that are set in the American West, usually in the period from the 1850s to the end of the 19th century. Though...
The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter, American dramatic film, released in 1978, that focused on the devastating effects of the Vietnam War on the young American men sent to fight in it. The emotionally shattering movie, cowritten...
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane, American film drama, released in 1941, that was directed, produced, and cowritten by Orson Welles, who also starred in the lead role. Citizen Kane is acclaimed by many critics as the greatest...
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest , American dramatic film, released in 1975, that was based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey. The movie, directed by Miloš Forman and starring Jack Nicholson,...
Star Wars
Star Wars, space opera film series (created by George Lucas) that became one of the most successful and influential franchises in motion picture history. Begun in the 1970s and ’80s and resuscitated at...
history of film
History of film, history of cinema, a popular form of mass media, from the 19th century to the present. (Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.) The illusion of films is based on...
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire, British dramatic film, released in 2008 and directed by Danny Boyle, that won eight Academy Awards, including those for best picture and best director, as well as several BAFTA awards...
The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker, American war movie, released in 2008, that is set in the second year of the Iraq War and won six Academy Awards, including for best picture, and six BAFTA Awards, also including for best...
Crash
Crash, American dramatic film, released in 2004, that was written and directed by Paul Haggis and that won the Academy Award for best picture in what was widely thought to be an upset over critical and...
Titanic
Titanic, American romantic adventure film, released in 1997, that centres on the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The film proved immensely popular, holding the all-time box-office gross record for more than...
Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers, American comedy team that was popular on stage, screen, and radio for 30 years. They were celebrated for their inventive attacks on the socially respectable and upon ordered society in general....
Pixar
Pixar, motion-picture studio, from 2006 a wholly owned subsidiary of the Disney Company, that was instrumental in the development and production of computer-animated films in the late 20th and early 21st...