The Secret Language of Film

Hey! Technically it's Tuesday now, but only just. And I do want to participate in this new format, so I'll just give a quick post. I am currently reading a book called The Secret Language of Film by Jean Claude Carriere, who is a writer/playwright/screenwriter. Basically the book is a look into Carriere's extensive opinions and insights about modern film and how it has evolved and adapted since its emergence in the early 20th century. So far it seems to be a pretty negative view on film today in terms of the techniques being used and the approach to telling stories on screen. It is interesting, but so far it has been a lot about how unrealistic film is, though I can't quite get the feel of whether or not he is complaining about that or just stating the fact. He is making a lot of observations that most people notice about movies, but he also makes connections and conclusions about various things that I would never have thought of. What is nice is that he has made references to things that I never would have known about except that I took an International Cinema class last year, which I wasn't crazy about but it is nice that I have some basic knowledge of some of the things he is talking about. I am really hoping to expand my knowledge about film in as many ways as possible and I have another book about it lined up to read next. It is something I am so interested in, but have very little knowledge about and am going to really try to get more familiar with the prominent players in film as well as the history and the process. That's it! Glad to see what everyone else is reading and I look forward to seeing what you all have to post for the rest of the week.