Sadly now deceased, Bordwell here displays a genuinely-astonishing breadth and depth of knowledge not just of recent film history, but of the literary, theatrical and filmic antecedents that demonstrate the evolution of plot complexity. Branching out from linear timelines and single-voice viewpoints, Bordwell traces the evolution of the flashback, reverse storytelling, fractured timelines and character perspectives, and much more. Along the way, he gives examples - some at length (such as discussions of Richard Stark and Dashiell Hammet), and some in less than a sentence (such as when he namechecks “How Green Was My Valley” in order to illustrate a point). Going all the way back to Shakespeare and Marlowe, and up to current TV crime box sets, one really does get the impression that he’s read and seen *everything*. A must read.