The relatively short history of cinema makes it both challenging and exciting to study. Because film is a fairly modern art form, its repository of instructional material is naturally limited. We have no archaic, impenetrable texts to preserve under lock and key in museums, and though there are schools of film they are mostly first generational.
Though the amount of cinematic history still to be written is surely more than what has preceded, its current repertoire is still rich. If, as Alexander Pope wrote, "the proper study of mankind is man", this seems to also apply to the movies.
Though some elements can be taught in a classroom – camera work, lighting, sound – it is the endless creative possibilities of cinema that keep it relevant. Examining and understanding what has worked in the past greatly enhances one's ability to view films intelligently. Learning truly has no end, but some movie masterpieces can, as representatives of the masses, teach volumes about the art of cinema.
