---
product_id: 6539189
title: "The Story of Film: An Odyssey"
price: "$134"
currency: NZD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/6539189-the-story-of-film-an-odyssey
store_origin: NZ
region: New Zealand
---

# The Story of Film: An Odyssey

**Price:** $134
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Story of Film: An Odyssey
- **How much does it cost?** $134 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/6539189-the-story-of-film-an-odyssey)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

The Story of Film: An Odyssey is an unprecedented cinematic event, an epic journey through the history of world cinema that is a treat for movie lovers around the globe. Guided by film historian Mark Cousins, this bold 15-part love letter to the movies begins with the invention of motion pictures at the end of the 19th century and concludes with the multi-billion dollar globalized digital industry of the 21st. The Story of Film: An Odyssey heralds a unique approach to the evolution of film art by focusing on the artistic vision and innovations of filmmaking pioneers. Cousins' distinctive approach also yields a personal and idiosyncratic rewriting of film history. Filmed at key locations in film history on every continent, from Thomas Edison's New Jersey laboratory, to Hitchcock's London; from post-war Rome to the thriving industry of modern day Mumbai-this landmark documentary is filled with glorious clips from some of the greatest movies ever made and features interviews with legendary filmmakers and actors including Stanley Donen, Kyoko Kagawa, Gus van Sant, Lars Von Trier, Wim Wenders, Abbas Kiarostami, Claire Denis, Bernardo Bertolucci, Robert Towne, Jane Campion and Claudia Cardinale.

Review: A masterpiece - A very entertaining and informative ride hitting on relevant moments, styles, innovations, films and general guard-advancing moments in film. This is done by narration and interviews with examples of films, interviewees and other B-roll clips as backdrop. It is wrapped in a simple but very effective (and I'd say at times dramatic) music score. Elegantly presented both on screen and as a package it moves from the late 1800s through 2007, with the film Inception excepted (2010). Also, chronologically organized into about 1 hour installments. A look at its Wikipedia page shows a glimpse of what critics said about this work. At times, the narrator seems to be going around alone with a camera showing places and interviewing people. This, along with the minimalistic music score strengthens the effect that one does not necessarily need a big production to produce significant and positive results in a documentary film. Of note are the interesting B-roll clips that reminds me of my beginnings in photography, when everything was beautiful. When everything was worth picturing. This epic production has one significant drawback: No subtitles. Something needed at times when Mr. Cousins pronounces certain words, especially those from French. The Netflix edition had subtitles. Though I agree and relate to much of what is said in The Story Of Film, I do disagree in certain areas. Subjectively mostly. My strongest objection is on Disc 2, episode 4, time 32 minutes and 47 seconds. Mr. Cousins is refers to 1940 France and mentions that the Vichy government of France, "... sided with Hitler..." This was not true until 1942 when the Allies invaded North Africa. However, after playing this section several times I concede I might have misunderstood. But I'm not yet sure. I have watched the whole series about 5 times in Netflix before I could find it no more there. For this reason, I purchased it: To watch it again. And again. I does take several views to wrap your brain around it. I'm not there yet. As a final note, and with respect to the producers I'd submit the proper title would be "A Story Of Film,' for there are many other stories to be told. The bad and ugly (Trailer Park Of Terror), the totally weird (Sweet Movie), the documentary world (Ken Burns' The West), epic movies (Carlos), hidden treasures (Nebraska, Cashback, No Men Beyond This Point, Man With A Movie Camera), movies as a venue to sell products (A View To A Kill) and the like. Then, there are subjects like the rise and fall of iconic actors and producers (won't name names), camera and lenses, paste versus digital, etc. I understand many of those I mention above are beyond the timeframe The Story of Film covers, but I use it to illustrate my opinion: That it should be A Story and not The Story. In the end, a masterpiece.
Review: A Highly Idiosyncratic and Stimulating Survey - May 8, 2102: Since the time I originally posted some comments on this superb documentary essay, "The Story of Film: An Odyssey," I have re-watched all 15 hours of it twice. Several of my friends are cinephiles and college film professors who have been anxious to share this viewing experience with me. This explains my insanity, as it were. Lots of nice dinners at my house and lots of "The Story of Film." Needless to say, everybody I know finds something missing: an important director, an important individual film. Everybody hates something that Cousins loves. (He is is full of hyperbolic praise for the most surprising things.) But we all agree -- this is a stunning achievement. One of the greatest things about it, by the way, is that it makes you want to see hundreds of movies again or for the first time. If I had the energy, I would remove almost all the negative remarks I have made below -- but best to leave it as it stands. I do have to add, however, not one of my friends has any objection to the way Mr. Cousins speaks. I also no longer find that his remarks interfere with the zillion film clips. Just imagine the mountainous task of selecting and obtaining the rights to them! Earlier review: This huge "The Story of Film: An Odyssey" is an odyssey for sure in the way the author/narrator's ideas stray all over the place intellectually and geographically. But it is coherent unlike Godard's "Histoire(s) du cinéma." It is also highly idiosyncratic and the author's opinions are right in your face. He makes sweeping pronouncements on who and what is great. One is likely to disagree with many of his powerful convictions. Here at desertcart, I have read a number of unfair negative customer comments. Many people cannot stand Mark Cousins' Northern Irish accent -- a nasty prejudice I find offensive. It is true that his speech is lilting, even lulling, and virtually every statement sounds like a question; but would these same commentators attack speakers with other national or ethnic accents? And how seriously are we to take comments from people who have seen only two or three hours out of a 15-hour project? This is not a set to buy if you are seeking a wonderful series on the "Golden History of Hollywood." Cousins does not ignore Hollywood altogether, of course (how could he?) -- but the glamorous studio years are shoved way, way off to the side. Except in one episode, Cousins makes references to Hollywood only as needed. When he reaches the '60s and '70s, American film comes more solidly into the picture. In general, Cousins admires almost all of the American based directors that European intellectuals fashionably admit into the Pantheon of greatness (Sirk, Wilder, Ray, Minnelli, Donen, Hitchcock, Ford, Lynch etc.). In this way he is predictably tiresome, and one even suspects an anti-American sentiment lurking beneath the surface of everything. Certainly the many full-color inserted shots of LA seem designed to make it look as tacky as possible. So -- for a documentary that calls itself "The Story of Film," it is lousy as a study of American film per se. But Cousin's brief comments on everything he treats are of interest. He offers one insight after another, and his explanations of technical developments would be perfect for film students. He is always discussing lighting, atmosphere, mise en scene, camera angles, camera lenses, and everything that has to do with content and meaning of a visual image. His comments on the advent of digital and CGI techniques are especially good. The viewer is likely to have a series of epiphanies. India, China, Egypt, Japan, South America, Mexico, Spain, France, Denmark, Sweden, England, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, -- these and more give a sweep to his narrative. I learned about many films I have never heard of before in my life and now am anxious to see. The film intercuts contemporary documentary footage (apparently freshly shot for the documentary itself) of all the international locales discussed, often showing us a brief glimpse of the way something looks now. For instance, in a the section about Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, there are flashes of the locations today. For instance, Chaplin is on a street corner with the blind girl in "City Lights," and for a second or two we see that empty corner as it looks now -- namely dreary!. We learn about the Shaw Studios in China -- and then see those studios today etc. A technique Cousins uses is to intercut examples of the later influence of a an earlier director on the work of a later one. So, when we learn about Chaplin, we see examples of his influence on other comic actors and filmmakers. One slightly annoying thing is that Cousins often talks his way through many of the film clips. I think it helps to know something about movies to start with -- but this essay (I think that is a better term than "documentary") is bound to broaden the horizons of any serious film lover.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | B008ZDC7M8 |
| Actors  | Amitabh Bachchan, Claire Denis, Mark Cousins, Robert Towne, Stanley Donen |
| Best Sellers Rank | #28,602 in Movies & TV ( See Top 100 in Movies & TV ) #349 in Documentary (Movies & TV) #387 in Special Interests (Movies & TV) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (582) |
| Director  | Mark Cousins |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer  | No |
| Item model number  | 26155594 |
| MPAA rating  | PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned) |
| Media Format  | Black & White, Box set, Color, Dolby, Multiple Formats, NTSC |
| Number of discs  | 5 |
| Producers  | John Archer |
| Product Dimensions  | 1 x 5.7 x 7.5 inches; 12.32 ounces |
| Release date  | December 11, 2012 |
| Run time  | 15 hours and 15 minutes |
| Studio  | Music Box Films |

## Images

![The Story of Film: An Odyssey - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41w57eTC7vL.jpg)
![The Story of Film: An Odyssey - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41zN+2Ki6dL.jpg)
![The Story of Film: An Odyssey - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51J0LUQW6TL.jpg)
![The Story of Film: An Odyssey - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JhvfrjMcL.jpg)
![The Story of Film: An Odyssey - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61RDHkuXvJL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A masterpiece
*by F***K on February 10, 2018*

A very entertaining and informative ride hitting on relevant moments, styles, innovations, films and general guard-advancing moments in film. This is done by narration and interviews with examples of films, interviewees and other B-roll clips as backdrop. It is wrapped in a simple but very effective (and I'd say at times dramatic) music score. Elegantly presented both on screen and as a package it moves from the late 1800s through 2007, with the film Inception excepted (2010). Also, chronologically organized into about 1 hour installments. A look at its Wikipedia page shows a glimpse of what critics said about this work. At times, the narrator seems to be going around alone with a camera showing places and interviewing people. This, along with the minimalistic music score strengthens the effect that one does not necessarily need a big production to produce significant and positive results in a documentary film. Of note are the interesting B-roll clips that reminds me of my beginnings in photography, when everything was beautiful. When everything was worth picturing. This epic production has one significant drawback: No subtitles. Something needed at times when Mr. Cousins pronounces certain words, especially those from French. The Netflix edition had subtitles. Though I agree and relate to much of what is said in The Story Of Film, I do disagree in certain areas. Subjectively mostly. My strongest objection is on Disc 2, episode 4, time 32 minutes and 47 seconds. Mr. Cousins is refers to 1940 France and mentions that the Vichy government of France, "... sided with Hitler..." This was not true until 1942 when the Allies invaded North Africa. However, after playing this section several times I concede I might have misunderstood. But I'm not yet sure. I have watched the whole series about 5 times in Netflix before I could find it no more there. For this reason, I purchased it: To watch it again. And again. I does take several views to wrap your brain around it. I'm not there yet. As a final note, and with respect to the producers I'd submit the proper title would be "A Story Of Film,' for there are many other stories to be told. The bad and ugly (Trailer Park Of Terror), the totally weird (Sweet Movie), the documentary world (Ken Burns' The West), epic movies (Carlos), hidden treasures (Nebraska, Cashback, No Men Beyond This Point, Man With A Movie Camera), movies as a venue to sell products (A View To A Kill) and the like. Then, there are subjects like the rise and fall of iconic actors and producers (won't name names), camera and lenses, paste versus digital, etc. I understand many of those I mention above are beyond the timeframe The Story of Film covers, but I use it to illustrate my opinion: That it should be A Story and not The Story. In the end, a masterpiece.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Highly Idiosyncratic and Stimulating Survey
*by D***N on December 30, 2012*

May 8, 2102: Since the time I originally posted some comments on this superb documentary essay, "The Story of Film: An Odyssey," I have re-watched all 15 hours of it twice. Several of my friends are cinephiles and college film professors who have been anxious to share this viewing experience with me. This explains my insanity, as it were. Lots of nice dinners at my house and lots of "The Story of Film." Needless to say, everybody I know finds something missing: an important director, an important individual film. Everybody hates something that Cousins loves. (He is is full of hyperbolic praise for the most surprising things.) But we all agree -- this is a stunning achievement. One of the greatest things about it, by the way, is that it makes you want to see hundreds of movies again or for the first time. If I had the energy, I would remove almost all the negative remarks I have made below -- but best to leave it as it stands. I do have to add, however, not one of my friends has any objection to the way Mr. Cousins speaks. I also no longer find that his remarks interfere with the zillion film clips. Just imagine the mountainous task of selecting and obtaining the rights to them! Earlier review: This huge "The Story of Film: An Odyssey" is an odyssey for sure in the way the author/narrator's ideas stray all over the place intellectually and geographically. But it is coherent unlike Godard's "Histoire(s) du cinéma." It is also highly idiosyncratic and the author's opinions are right in your face. He makes sweeping pronouncements on who and what is great. One is likely to disagree with many of his powerful convictions. Here at Amazon, I have read a number of unfair negative customer comments. Many people cannot stand Mark Cousins' Northern Irish accent -- a nasty prejudice I find offensive. It is true that his speech is lilting, even lulling, and virtually every statement sounds like a question; but would these same commentators attack speakers with other national or ethnic accents? And how seriously are we to take comments from people who have seen only two or three hours out of a 15-hour project? This is not a set to buy if you are seeking a wonderful series on the "Golden History of Hollywood." Cousins does not ignore Hollywood altogether, of course (how could he?) -- but the glamorous studio years are shoved way, way off to the side. Except in one episode, Cousins makes references to Hollywood only as needed. When he reaches the '60s and '70s, American film comes more solidly into the picture. In general, Cousins admires almost all of the American based directors that European intellectuals fashionably admit into the Pantheon of greatness (Sirk, Wilder, Ray, Minnelli, Donen, Hitchcock, Ford, Lynch etc.). In this way he is predictably tiresome, and one even suspects an anti-American sentiment lurking beneath the surface of everything. Certainly the many full-color inserted shots of LA seem designed to make it look as tacky as possible. So -- for a documentary that calls itself "The Story of Film," it is lousy as a study of American film per se. But Cousin's brief comments on everything he treats are of interest. He offers one insight after another, and his explanations of technical developments would be perfect for film students. He is always discussing lighting, atmosphere, mise en scene, camera angles, camera lenses, and everything that has to do with content and meaning of a visual image. His comments on the advent of digital and CGI techniques are especially good. The viewer is likely to have a series of epiphanies. India, China, Egypt, Japan, South America, Mexico, Spain, France, Denmark, Sweden, England, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, -- these and more give a sweep to his narrative. I learned about many films I have never heard of before in my life and now am anxious to see. The film intercuts contemporary documentary footage (apparently freshly shot for the documentary itself) of all the international locales discussed, often showing us a brief glimpse of the way something looks now. For instance, in a the section about Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, there are flashes of the locations today. For instance, Chaplin is on a street corner with the blind girl in "City Lights," and for a second or two we see that empty corner as it looks now -- namely dreary!. We learn about the Shaw Studios in China -- and then see those studios today etc. A technique Cousins uses is to intercut examples of the later influence of a an earlier director on the work of a later one. So, when we learn about Chaplin, we see examples of his influence on other comic actors and filmmakers. One slightly annoying thing is that Cousins often talks his way through many of the film clips. I think it helps to know something about movies to start with -- but this essay (I think that is a better term than "documentary") is bound to broaden the horizons of any serious film lover.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A thought-provoking survey of world cinema
*by P***Y on November 24, 2013*

There are those who don't seem be able to stand this series, complaining of the narrator's accent and reading, and also the way it challenges some established (especially Hollywood/US- centric) interpretations of film history. On the first point, Cousins speaks the way many people from Belfast speak and he can hardly be blamed for being Irish. On the second point, it's obvious going in that this work is a personal interpretation of film history that's intended to be thought provoking and challenging. It is not intended or presented as a standard historical overview, rather it's "an odyssey" just as the title declares. If you're looking for a traditional historical overview that leaves your pre-existing prejudices in tact, you might steer clear. The attempted scope of the work is impressive. Hundreds of films, many of which will be unknown to an American audience are mentioned and many quoted (clearance must have been a nightmare). There are some brilliant observations and connections made. Sometimes Cousins attempts stretches he can't quite make, and some of the interpretation gets a little precious, but even in this the work is instructive. The interlude footage contains many visuals puns on what's being said if one watches carefully, and it's fun to figure these out. The interviews with writers and directors are shot in an anti-cinema style that those wanting something that looks like Discovery Channel talking heads may find off-putting. Again there's more method there than may at first meet the eye.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Story of Film: An Odyssey
- The Story of Film: A New Generation

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.nz/products/6539189-the-story-of-film-an-odyssey](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/6539189-the-story-of-film-an-odyssey)

---

*Product available on Desertcart New Zealand*
*Store origin: NZ*
*Last updated: 2026-02-20*