Going to the movies

by Syd Field

Featuring insights ... analysis ... great films and filmmakers from "the most-sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world" (The Hollywood Reporter).A life in film. An extraordinary career. An unforgettable story -- from noted lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author Syd Field.What makes a great movie great? ... An actor legendary? ... A screenplay extraordinary or just ordinary? Syd Field has spent a lifetime seeking answers to these questions. His bestselling books on the art and craft of screenwriting have become the film industry's gold standard. Now Syd Field tells his own remarkable story, sharing the insight and experience gleaned from an extraordinary career. Using classic movies from the past and present -- from Orson Welles' Citizen Kane to Andy and Larry Wachowski's The Matrix -- Field provides a guided tour of the basic elements common to all great films. Learn what makes La Grande Illusion a groundbreaking, timeless classic ... how Casablanca teaches one of the most im