Film: the Key Concepts presents a coherent, clear and exciting overview of film theory for beginning readers. The book takes the reader through the often conflicting analyses which make up film theory, illustrating arguments with examples from mainstream and independent films. It isolates 6 key concepts in film theory - the photogenic in film, dialectic film montage, film constructs, imaginary signifiers, voyeuristic pleasures and simulacra - each with its own, short essay. Through these concepts it covers the main sites in film theory: realism, formalism, structuralism, semiotics, Marxism, psychoanalysis, feminism, cognitivism, post-colonialism, postmodernism, gender and queer film theories. Each chapter stands on its own, tracing the historical evolution of each concept to the present. The book as a whole provides a complete overview of the evolution of film theory. In order to help introductory students, each chapter includes boxed summaries of key theorists, bulleted summaries and an Annotated Guide to Further Reading.