Murder and the Movies

Thomson David

How many acts of murder have each of us followed on a screen? What does that say about us? Do we remain law-abiding citizens who wouldn't hurt a fly? Film historian David Thomson, known for wit and subversiveness, leads us into this very delicate subject. While unpacking classics such as "Seven", "Kind Hearts and Coronets", "Strangers on a Train", "The Conformist", "The Godfather", and "The Shining", he offers a disconcerting sense of how the form of movies makes us accomplices in this sinister narrative process.

By turns seductive and astringent, very serious and suddenly hilarious, "Murder and the Movies" admits us into what Thomson calls "a warped triangle": the creator working out a compelling death; the killer doing his and her best; and the entranced reader and spectator trying to cling to life and a proper sense of decency.

About the Author

David Thomson is a film critic and historian, and the author of more than twenty books, including "The Biographical Dictionary of Film", now in its sixth edition, and "Why Acting Matters".

Back to the list of books