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film theory
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film theory

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film theory, theory developed to explain the nature of motion pictures and how they produce emotional and mental effects on the audience. Film theory recognizes the cinema as a distinct art form. See also auteur theory. See also individual directors, such as François Truffaut and Sergey Eisenstein; genres, such as documentary films and film noir; and movements, such as New Wave.

(Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.)

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.