The work of Rudolf Arnheim and especially the film theory writings of Siegfried Kracauer have had a strong impact on German film criticism over long periods. French influences also made themselves felt through the "nouvelle vague" (Bazin, Godard, Truffaut). Another major influence on the development of film criticism were the books of the Hungarian Béla Balázs (written in German and published in Vienna). We have assembled the most important German-language writings on film theory, but have largely excluded German translations of foreign writers. (Translations are available of the works of such writers as Bazin, Truffaut and Godard, but hardly any American writers on film theory have been translated).
The overview of works on film theory is complemented by publications by critics (often collections of previously published texts).
Theory
