What is "Film Theory," Really?

Film theory functions as a practice of generating general propositions about cinema as a medium, distinct from the historical cataloging of events or the critical analysis of individual films. Classical film theory, spanning roughly 1915 to 1960, centers on the "what" of cinema, specifically its legitimacy and uniqueness as an art form. In contrast, contemporary film theory, emerging in the 1960s, shifts toward the "how," investigating cinema as a systemic force that produces meaning, perpetuates dominant ideologies, and shapes identity. Early responses to the medium, such as Maxim Gorky’s 1896 reflections on the Lumière brothers' films, illustrate that theoretical inquiry into the nature of the cinematic image—balancing its lifelike realism against its status as a mere shadow—existed even before formal academic frameworks were established.