This course introduces students to the major periods and technological developments in film history from its origins in various 19th century technologies and amusements to the end of World War II. The course will address some of the fundamental phases and international movements in cinema history, focusing on film as a technology, institution, and art form. A range of genres and national cinemas representative of the aesthetic and economic contexts of global media cultures will be examined. The course will be framed by a variety of critical issues in film historiography.