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Season 1 – The Power of Film

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – The Power of Film Jan 2024 Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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A deep dive into the art of storytelling by examining the defining principles and inner workings of the greatest American classic films from the past century.
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The Power of Film — Season 1

Critics Reviews

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Ruth Maramis FlixChatter Film Blog 02/26/2024
3/5
The series could’ve been much more powerful & engaging than the way it's currently presented, but still worth a watch for film fans. Go to Full Review
Alan French Sunshine State Cineplex 01/11/2024
8/10
Pulling from his lectures, his 2006 book, and dozens of movies, Suber’s new documentary series, "The Power of Film," provides an excellent foundation for audiences to begin a deeper appreciation of the art form. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Joe C @JoeCoffee 04/22/2024 Made it through 4 episodes, but was pulling my hair out by the 2nd hoping it would improve. 'Twas not to be. The film clips are there to serve the points the narrator wants to make about writing for movies, but they're too brief and he is too long-winded, treating his every utterance as an aphorism. That may be an occupational hazard to a professor with a captive audience, but he found it necessary to dumb it down for the great unwashed by providing definitions and roots of words, speaking...very...slowly and repeating himself. When he started speaking the lines over the clips, I was done. I'd recommend a behind-the-scenes making of feature or doc to this Intermediary's interpretations. See more mark s 01/17/2024 I couldn't get past episode two. The narrator was repeatedly trying to convince the viewer that destiny was malleable and that we can all change ours simply by putting in an effort. Cringe-worthy and impossible. Destiny is fixed & immutable and there's zero we can do about it. Same as fate. It was painful to hear him torture the English language in an attempt to make up his own meaning of a word so it would conveniently fit his narrative. See more Read all reviews
The Power of Film — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jan 4, 2024 Memorable and Popular A large proportion of the most commercially successful American films are quickly forgotten; a tiny fraction are truly memorable, lasting from one generation to another; Howard Suber asks why this small minority continues to have such power. Details Episode 2 Aired Jan 11, 2024 Trapped Between Fate & Destiny Nearly all memorable stories, whether told in movies or in real life, are about traps; the most memorable are generally about the loss, sacrifice, and ultimate triumph the central character must engage in to escape their trap. Details Episode 3 Aired Jan 18, 2024 The Power of Character Relationships There is no such thing as an interesting character, there are only interesting character relationship; the structure of most memorable dramatic plots centers on a single individual. Details Episode 4 Aired Jan 25, 2024 Heroes and Villains Film drama frequently treats central characters as if they were heroes or villains, but often the two are very much alike. Details Episode 5 Aired Feb 1, 2024 The Power of Paradox Often in films, things are not what they seem, and learning the truth about characters and situations creates much of the tension in the film. Details Episode 6 Aired Feb 8, 2024 Love and Meaning Many of cinema's most memorable love stories end with the separation or death of one or both lovers; the paradox underlying the film helps explains why they stick in viewers' memories. Details
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Season Info

Director
Laura Gabbert
Executive Producer
Laura Gabbert, Doug Pray
Screenwriter
Doug Pray, Howard Suber
Network
TCM
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jan 4, 2024