TELEVISION

The Story of Film: An Odyssey - Season 1

Series: Story of Film: An Odyssey
4.5
(123)
Episodes
15
Year
2012
Language
English

About

The Story of Film: An Odyssey is an unprecedented cinematic event, an epic journey through the history of world cinema that is a treat for movie lovers around the globe.

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Episodes

1 to 3 of 15

1. The Story of Film: An Odyssey, Part 1

1h 1m

This opening of The Story of Film: An Odyssey shows the birth of a great new art form, the movies. Filmed in the very buildings where the first movies were made, it shows that ideas and passion have always driven film, more than money and marketing. We hear the story of the very first movie stars, close-ups and special effects and then we travel to Hollywood to see how it became a myth. The story is full of surprises, such as the fact that the greatest, and best, paid writers in these early years were women. And then there's the glamour: the building of the great movie cathedrals.

2. The Story of Film: An Odyssey, Part 2

1h 1m

This is the fascinating story of the movies in the roaring 20s. We see how Hollywood became a glittering entertainment industry and how star directors like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton emerged. But the gloss and fantasy was challenged by movie makers like Robert Flaherty, Eric Von Stroheim and Carl Theodor Dreyer, who wanted films to be more serious and mature. Filmed in Hollywood, Denmark and Moscow, this part looks at the battle over the soul of cinema and some of the greatest movies ever made.

3. The Story of Film: An Odyssey, Part 3

1h 1m

The 1920s were a golden age for world cinema. In this part, we visit Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Shanghai and Tokyo to discover the places where movie makers were pushing the boundaries of the medium. German Expressionism, Soviet montage, French impressionism and surrealism were passionate new film movements, but less well known are the glories of Chinese and Japanese films and the moving story of one of the great, now forgotten, movie stars: Ruan Lingyu.

Reviews

"It's wildly ambitious, often extremely good, occasionally maddening, and always stimulating."
Boston Globe

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

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