This book is an extensive study of film theory, from its origins in the early twentieth century to the present. The author pays special attention to the development of film theory as a historically conditioned discourse that evolved and changed in conjunction with various social, political, economic and other factors. He examines the reasons why film continues to attract active interest as a form of media, as a form of representation, and as a major object of attention in the study of contemporary visual culture. The book is distinguished by its accessible form, brevity, and allows you to get acquainted with the key theorists, concepts and theories under the influence of which the study of moving images was formed. The book, first of all, will be of interest to theorists and practitioners in the field of media research and media communication, directors, cultural experts, and also to all those who would like to know more about film as a form of representation of reality.