"An iconic figure in twentieth-century cinema, Sergei M. Eisenstein directed landmark films such as Battleship Potemkin and Ivan the Terrible and authored a vast body of theoretical texts. This is the first English-language edition of his recently rediscovered notes for a 'general history of cinema.' In these, Eisenstein presents a fascinating genealogy of the media and art forms that preceded the birth of cinema and accompanied its first decades. Cinema is presented as a medium in constant flux and as heir to an expansive tradition, ranging from Dionysian mysteries to death masks and mummies, from wax museums to dioramas and panoramas, pursuing a breathtaking trajectory 'from Dionysus to television.' Eisenstein's notes are accompanied by a series of previously unpublished critical essays by internationally recognized Eisenstein scholars"--Back cover.