Film is an art form with a language and an aesthetic all it's own, and since 1979 David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson's "Film Art" has been the most repected introduction to the art and analysis of cinema.
In the new sixth edition, "Film Art" continues it's commitment to providing the best introduction to the fundamentals of serious film study - images throughout the book are collected from actual film frames, not from production stills or advertising photos - but the book has been extensively re-designed to improve readability and teachability. Additionally, the text can be packaged with the award-winning "Film, Form, and Culture CD-ROM," and is supported by an extensive Instructor's Manual and text-specific website.