BFI Film Classics Series

A study of David Lean's "Brief Encounter." In this personal account of the film, Richard Dyer traces its significance to post-war movie-goers, and the power of its enduring appeal. Each volume in the "BFI Film Classics" series contains a brief production history and a detailed filmography.

La dolce vita

by Richard Dyer

Published 1 November 2017

Fellini's La dolce vita has been a phenomenon since before it was made, a scandal in the making and on release and a reference point ever since. Much of what made it notorious was its incorporation of real people, events and lifestyles, making it a documentation of its time. It uses performance, camera movement, editing and music to produce a striking aesthetic mix of energy and listlessness, of exuberance and despair. Richard Dyer's study considers each of these aspects of the film - phenomenon, document, aesthetic - and argues that they are connected.

Seven

by Richard Dyer

Published 13 June 2024

David Fincher's Seven (1995) follows two detectives, David Mills (Brad Pitt) and William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), as they investigate a series of gruesome murders. One of the most acclaimed films of the 1990s, it explores themes of moral decay, human darkness, and the blurred lines between good and evil.

Richard Dyer's study of the film, unpacks how its cinematography, sound, and plot combine to create a harrowing account of a world beset by an all-encompassing, irremediable wickedness. He explores the film in terms of sin, story, structure, seriality, sound, sight and salvation, analyzing how Seven both epitomizes and modifies the serial killer genre, which is such a feature of recent cinema.

This new edition includes a new afterword by the author, re-assessing the film's lasting impact and influence over contemporary filmmaking aesthetics.