Film Appreciation by Utpal Datta, translated from the original Assamese titled Chalachitrar Rasaswadon by Dr Dipsikha Bhagawati, deals at length with the diverse filmmaking techniques ranging from production to editing and composition to distribution, in an extremely simple language appealing to the masses.

The book unfolds a new world of understanding the aesthetic and technical aspects of making a film. Filmmaking is an art because it dwells on one’s creative abilities and science. Besides writing the script and conceptualizing the idea of a movie. there is a whole lot of technicalities and procedures to be followed. And this book caters to the understanding of the inquisitive minds who would like to know more about filmmaking and appreciate the nuances that go into the creation of a film.

We often fail to appreciate the combined efforts of the people behind the scenes that goes into the development of the art called film. The book consists of chapters covering all aspects of filmmaking including method, screenplay, sound, dialogues, shooting, editing, literature, direction, etc. Top of these, readers will be delighted to find additional chapters on Cinema in the timeline, Mise-en-scene and a list of a hundred must watch films. Mise-en-scene is a new concept for a novice in this area. It is a French phrase that suggests the arrangement of actors and scenery on a stage for a theatrical and film production.

As Datta has explained that these elements help a movie director, photography director, art director, costume director, makeup artist and actors to understand the tone of the film. The cover of the book also needs a mention as it is captivating and immediately establishes contact with the potential reader. One can estimate the contents to find inside the book with a careful glance at the cover of the book.

By reading Film Appreciation, one can have a very clear understanding of the differences between a long and short film, hit and superhit movies, box office success and success at an aesthetic level. In short, the author who is an award-winning film critic, director, writer and acclaimed filmmaker has very successfully presented an informative and insightful study of all the elements that goes into the making of a film, a work of art.

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