The opening chapter of Filmish offers an eye-opening introduction to the history of cinema, exploring the tension between the idea that film can reveal the world to us anew, and the competing belief that the movies are an illusion designed to trick the eye. From A Trip to the Moon (1902) to Do The Right Thing (1989) and beyond, The Eye is a fascinating introduction to the evolution of cinema, and a thought-provoking insight into how the movies influence how we see the world.

In The Body, Ross examines cinema’s ongoing fascination with the human form, from the role of an actor’s bodily performance in constructing enduring characters to the problematic relationship mainstream cinema has with gender, race and disability. From The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) to The Fly (1986) this chapter explores the cinematic body in all its glory and all its horror.

From the earliest days of cinema, the movies have offered us a way to see the world around us differently. In this compelling chapter, Filmish explores the places and spaces that make our most beloved movies so memorable. Exploring everything from the industrial hell of Metropolis (1927) to the mind-bending dreamscapes of Inception (2010), Sets and Architecture takes us on an amazing journey through cinematic space.

An intangible and inescapable feature of life, time is a theme at the heart of many of cinema’s most thought provoking movies. In Time, Ross examines the effects of editing and pacing on storytelling, investigating the expressive, incendiary editing of Battleship Potemkin (1925) and the impressive and enthralling one-shot masterpiece Russian Ark (2002). From La Jetée (1962) to Memento (2000), the chapter also explores our personal relationship with time, and the role cinema has in allowing us to reflect on our pasts, presents and possible futures.

Ever since sound first graced the screen, the movies have been fascinated by the power of the human voice. In this chapter, Filmish looks into the complex role that the human voice plays on film, from song and dance of Singin’ In The Rain (1952) to the demonic rasps of The Exorcist (1973). Going further, the chapter looks at the ways in which film acts as a language by spreading ideas through cinematic form rather than words.

More than mere entertainment, the movies are a medium that play a crucial role in influencing how we look at the world. In Power and Ideology, Ross investigates the power of cinema to influence our behaviour and impact our attitude towards the world around us. From the power of military propaganda to the danger of Disney movies, this chapter will make you think twice if you think “it’s only a movie!”.

A medium that emerged from the technological innovations of the 19th century, the movies are nonetheless a thoroughly technophobic medium. A chapter overrun with rampaging robots, malevolent AI and nuclear monstrosities, Technology and Technophobia discusses the ways in which film has reflected our anxieties about scientific and technological change back at us. Taking a journey through Modern Times (1936) to Jurassic Park (1993) and beyond, the chapter closes with an eye towards the future of cinema itself.