Kritiken und Aufsätze zum Film

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Rudolf Arnheim, a prominent film theorist known for his classic Film as Art, presents a significant collection in this first English translation of his work, which compiles film reviews and theoretical essays primarily written between 1925 and 1940. Arnheim began his writing career in 1920s Berlin, contributing to the satirical magazine Das Stachelschwein, and later became a film critic and assistant editor for Die Weltbühne. This volume features his key contributions from both publications, offering sharp and humorous insights on classics of the silent and early sound eras, including Buster Keaton’s The General and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Following the rise of Nazism, Arnheim emigrated first to Italy, where he penned essays for the emerging Enciclopedia del Cinema, and later to England and the United States. The collection includes thirty essays on film theory covering aspects such as early sound film, production, and the interplay between film and the state. Additionally, it contains fifty-six critical pieces reflecting Arnheim’s views on film criticism, reviews of films from Germany, America, France, and the Soviet Union, and profiles of notable figures like Greta Garbo and Charlie Chaplin. A newly revised introduction by Arnheim and a comprehensive bibliography are also included.