David Thomson, an established film critic and author, has produced another sweeping history of cinema that moves from early photographic experimentation through major Hollywood figures and selected European and Asian films. The book traces the medium's cultural and commercial evolution whilst maintaining Thomson's characteristically unconventional perspective on cinema's place in cultural history.

Thomson explores the central tension within cinema: its remarkable power to reach mass audiences against its tendency toward sensationalising and cheapening culture. He questions whether cinema can expand human imagination as literature does, or whether it simply enforces passive submission to the screen. He also argues that home viewing technologies may ultimately surpass theatrical cinema, and he grounds his analysis in both artistic achievement and financial performance, believing commercial success carries meaningful historical weight.