Murray Pomerance, venerated film scholar, is the first to take on the 'cheat' in film, where 'cheating' constitutes a collection of production, performance, and structuring maneuvers intended to foster the impression of a screen reality that does not exist as presented. This usually calls for a suspension of disbelief in the viewer, but that rests on the assumption that disbelief is problematic for viewership, and that we must find some way to "suspend" or "disconnect" it in order to allow for the entertainment of the fiction in its own terms.
The Film Cheat explores forty-five aspects of the 'cheat,' analyzing classic films such as Singin' in the Rain and Chinatown, to more contemporary films like The Revenant and Baby Driver, with Pomerance engaging his encyclopedic knowledge of film history to point out numerous instances of suspensions of disbeliefs. Whether or not Gene Kelly is actually dancin' in the rain, or if Elliott is really flying on his bicycle carrying E.T., these cheats are what make movie magic.
Elegantly weaving the narrative for one to dip into at random or to read from cover to cover, Pomerance turns things upside down so that the audience actually finds pleasure in the cheat itself, pleasure in the disbelief. To see the elegant fake, the supremely accomplished simulacrum is a pleasure in its own right, indeed one of the fundamental pleasures of cinema.
- 384 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Index
Note: Page numbers in italic signify images.
Abbott, Diahnne here
About a Boy (Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, 2002) here
Aboutboul, Alon here
À bout de souffle ([Breathless] Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) here
Abraham, F. Murray here
Absorption and Theatricality (Michael Fried) here
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences here
Academy frame rate here
Oscar (Academy Award) here, here–here, here
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (Tom Shadyac, 1994) here
Adair, John here
Adam, Ken here
Adam’s Rib (George Cukor, 1949) here
Adjustment Bureau, The (George Nolfi, 2011) here
Adorno, Theodor here
ADR (additional dialogue recording) here, here
Adventures of Robin Hood, The (Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, 1938) here
Affair to Remember, An (Leo McCarey, 1957) here, here
Affleck, Ben here
Affleck, Casey here
Africa, veldt, as setting here
Age of Innocence, An (Martin Scorsese, 1993) here, here, see also Hollywood, mattes
Agfacolor here
Alcott, John here
Alexander, John here
Alfie (Lewis Gilbert, 1966) here, here
Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton, 2010) here
Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979) here, here, here, here–here, here, here, here
Allen, Karen here
Allen, Woody here, here
Almendros, Nestor here, here
Claire’s Knee here
Paris vu par here
Pauline at the Beach here, here
Alps, the, as setting here
Altick, Richard here
Amadeus (Milos Forman, 1984) h...
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half-Title
- Dedication
- Title
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preamble: All in the Game
- OF SCRIPTS
- OF PERFORMANCES
- OF CAMERAS
- OF SCENES
- OF JOINS
- Epilogue:Our Cheating Heart
- Works Cited
- Index
- Copyright
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access The Film Cheat by Murray Pomerance in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Film & Video. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.