As part of our New Year’s cleaning effort, my wife and I finally got around to organizing our bookshelves.  In the process, I found several great books that I had forgotten about.  Here’s my list of the top five film books that I forgot I owned.

1. Film as Art by Rudolph Arnheim - This book goes way back.  The author goes so far as to argue against new-fangled ideas like sound and color.  Regardless of whether you think all films should be B&W and silent, Arnheim does a stellar job of identifying the way a filmmaker puts his artistic mark on a film.
2. Film Form by Sergei Eisenstein - The classic collection of essays by the Russian montage master.  He really makes you think about what meaning is added to a pair of shots when they are edited together.  I also think his writings on rhythm are essential for any filmmaker.
3. What is Cinema? by André Bazin - These essays by the French film critic, André Bazin, do what only the best criticism can - explain why films are good rather than why they are bad.  Great lessons for filmmakers.
4. In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch - A quick and insightful read on what make a good cut, written by a master editor.
5. Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez - This book chronicles Robert Rodriguez’s rise to fame with his first indy feature, El Mariachi.  This book probably inspires more young filmmakers to go for it than any other out there.

Although most of these are pretty old, they contain a lot of great insights that could be helpful to any filmmaker.

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