Avoid the hurdles and get smoothly across the set

This is, above all, a clear and concise basic textbook for students on the huge number of courses that now have "film" as part of their title. It is also an honest book that states in its preface that all introductory texts are, by their nature, "shallow" and that "film studies is a subject in constant flux" and therefore any overarching survey will always have its limitations.

While there is a basic truth to all this, it is actually a little harsh on what will be, for most undergraduate students, a more than adequate introductory textbook. It covers all the major approaches to the study of film, ranging from close textual analysis, through the study of the industry and technology, to what remains the biggest hurdle for the majority of students - critical theory and its application to film.

Remarkably, there is still space for a section on "Film and history", but that is really a brief overview of key national cinema movements from German Expressionism through to Denmark's Dogme.

Another feature of the book's honesty and transparency of approach is its confession of an "ingrained Western perspective". This is undoubtedly true at one level, but it is again a little harsh, as there are clear attempts to counter such a tendency, not least an interesting short section on Iranian cinema.

There are also directions to a list of key films on the author's own website and to a site hosted by the publisher, both of which make useful efforts to broaden the reader's perspective and give him or her access to a range of materials available to illustrate the arguments.

A particular stylistic and structural feature of the book is the use of boxes that take the topic under discussion and apply it in depth to a particular film or set of films. On the whole, the boxes work well and, providing the reader can access and view the film, often bring the discussion alive. Given the constraints on space, the writing and analysis throughout the text are also of a high standard while remaining accessible to less experienced students. What is slightly off-putting is the way that the boxes are often inserted into the body of the text, sometimes creating a confusing and slightly alienating effect on the page.

This is, however, a small quibble. In a crowded market Nick Lacey's book stands up well as an authoritative and comprehensive introduction that would be good value as an undergraduate textbook.

Steve Blandford is head of the department of arts and media, Glamorgan University.