On Directing Film
by David Mamet
★ Top 25 book of 1991 · #12 on Best Books of 1991
Drawing on his work as playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker, Mamet explains how a movie comes together, from the script through to editing. Rooted in his Columbia film school classes, it focuses on telling a story audiences can follow.
Best for: Film students and movie fans curious about how directors shape a story
On Directing Film is #12 on BookWard's Best Books of 1991, out of 23 1991 books that cleared our data bar.
What On Directing Film is about
David Mamet's book grew out of the film directing classes he taught at Columbia University's film school. It has six chapters, two of them dialogues between Mamet and unnamed students, and it covers every part of directing, from the script to the cutting room.
Mamet writes bluntly and with strong opinions. He argues against mainstream American filmmaking, method acting, and self-indulgence in art, and draws on Sergei Eisenstein's montage theory and the ideas of the Russian theatre director Stanislavsky. His central claim is that a director's prime job is to present a story the audience can follow that feels both surprising and inevitable. Mamet is a playwright, screenwriter, and director whose films include House of Games and Things Change. The book is described as enjoyable not only for students but for anyone interested in an overview of the craft of filmmaking.
On Directing Film on the Best Books of 1991
On Directing Film came out in 1991. Of the 23 books first published in 1991 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #12 on our Best Books of 1991 list.
Why it made the list: 219 readers have shelved it on Open Library. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1991 list
- Farmer Duck Martin Waddell, #10
- The Sum of All Fears Tom Clancy, #11
- Scarlett Alexandra Ripley, #13
- The Girlfriend Robert Lawrence Stine, #14
See all Best Books of 1991 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1990 Best Books of 1992.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 205 want to read it, 6 are reading it now and 8 have read it, according to Open Library.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 65 | 55% |
| Reader love | 13 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 35 | 20% |
Questions about On Directing Film
When was On Directing Film published?
On Directing Film by David Mamet was first published in 1991.
Was On Directing Film one of the best books of 1991?
On Directing Film is #12 on BookWard's Best Books of 1991, out of 23 1991 books that cleared our data bar. 219 readers have shelved it on Open Library.
Why is On Directing Film on the Best Books of 1991 list?
219 readers have shelved it on Open Library.
More of the best books of 1991
- Outlander Diana Gabaldon, #1
- Needful Things Stephen King, #2
- American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis, #3
- Shiloh Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, #4
- The Firm John Grisham, #5
- Reaper Man Terry Pratchett, #6
See the full Best Books of 1991, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
Find your own best books
Add what you have read, rate it, and BookWard will recommend what to read next.
Free while in beta. No credit card needed.