Top Hat is the first volume to spotlight this classic Hollywood film, probing the musical genre, notions of romance and subjectivity, as well as the contested relations between the sexes. Offers a detailed analysis of one of Hollywood's greatest musicals, including a comprehensive survey of the film's production, promotion and reception, all measured against the background of 1930s socio-political contexts in the USA Explores the musical genre and questions of (gendered) national identity, romance, subjectivity and the notion of the couple Written in a clear, accessible style, Top Hat probes text and context carefully to appeal to the student and teacher of the musical and of Hollywood film history, as well as the film-loving general reader
The Multi-Protagonist Film is an insightful and provocative introduction to this important new genre. Explores the origins and history of one of the most exciting new developments in contemporary film worldwide Guides readers through the genre’s central characteristics and conventions, as well as it's evolution and cultural relevance Provides a theoretical framework that is developed through the analysis several films, including Grand Hotel, Singles, American Pie, Short Cuts, and Syriana. Reveals the duality of the genre's contemporary preoccupations: the impact of globalization on human lives versus the current state of intimate affairs, the crisis of marriage, and the proliferation of sexual choices
This revealing history of the American film musical synthesizes the critical literature on the genre and provides a series of close analytical readings of iconic musical films, focusing on their cultural relationship to other aspects of American popular music. Offers a depth of scholarship that will appeal to students and scholars Leads a crucial analysis of the cultural context of musicals, particularly the influence of popular music on the genre Delves into critical issues behind these films such as race, gender, ideology, and authorship Features close readings of canonical and neglected film musicals from the 1930s to the present including: Top Hat, Singin' in the Rain, Woodstock, Gimme Shelter, West Side Story, and Across the Universe
A Companion to Werner Herzog showcases over two dozen original scholarly essays examining nearly five decades of filmmaking by one of the most acclaimed and innovative figures in world cinema. First collection in twenty years dedicated to examining Herzog’s expansive career Features essays by international scholars and Herzog specialists Addresses a broad spectrum of the director’s films, from his earliest works such as Signs of Life and Fata Morgana to such recent films as The Bad Lieutenant and Encounters at the End of the World Offers creative, innovative approaches guided by film history, art history, and philosophy Includes a comprehensive filmography that also features a list of the director’s acting appearances and opera productions Explores the director’s engagement with music and the arts, his self-stylization as a global filmmaker, his Bavarian origins, and even his love-hate relationship with the actor Klaus Kinski
A Companion to Chinese Cinema is a collection of original essays written by experts in a range of disciplines that provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution and current state of Chinese cinema. Represents the most comprehensive coverage of Chinese cinema to date Applies a multidisciplinary approach that maps the expanding field of Chinese cinema in bold and definitive ways Draws attention to previously neglected areas such as diasporic filmmaking, independent documentary, film styles and techniques, queer aesthetics, star studies, film and other arts or media Features several chapters that explore China’s new market economy, government policy, and industry practice, placing the intricate relationship between film and politics in a historical and international context Includes overviews of Chinese film studies in Chinese and English publications
A Companion to Rainer Werner Fassbinder is the first of its kind to engage with this important figure. Twenty-eight essays by an international group of scholars consider this controversial director's contribution to German cinema, German history, gender studies, and auteurship. A fresh collection of original research providing diverse perspectives on Fassbinder’s work in films, television, poetry, and underground theatre. Rainer Werner Fassbinder remains the preeminent filmmaker of the New German Cinema whose brief but prolific body of work spans from the latter half of the 1960s to the artist’s death in 1982. Interrogates Fassbinder’s influence on the seminal ideas of his time: auteurship, identity, race, queer studies, and the cataclysmic events of German twentieth century history Contributions from internationally diverse scholars specializing in film, culture, and German studies. Includes coverage of his key films including: Gods of the Plague (1970), Beware of a Holy Whore (1971), The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), Martha (1973) (TV), World on a Wire (1973), Effi Briest (1974), Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974), Fox and His Friends (1975), Fear of Fear (1975), Chinese Roulette (1976), In a Year With 13 Moons (1978), Despair (1978), The Third Generation (1979), Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) (TV), and Querelle (1982).
This book provides an accessible yet sophisticated introduction to the significant philosophical issues concerning the performing arts. Presents the significant philosophical issues concerning the performing arts in an accessible style, assuming no prior knowledge Provides a critical overview and a comprehensive framework for thinking about the performing arts Examines the assumption that classical music provides the best model for thinking about artistic performance across the performing arts Explores ways in which the ‘classical paradigm’ might be extended to other musical genres, to theatre, and to dance Applies the thinking on performing arts to the issue of ‘performance art’
A Companion to Michael Haneke is a definitive collection of newly-commissioned work that covers Haneke's body of work in its entirety, catering to students and scholars of Haneke at a time when interest in the director and his work is soaring. Introduces one of the most important directors to have emerged on the global cinema scene in the past fifteen years Includes exclusive interviews with Michael Haneke, including an interview discussion of The White Ribbon Considers themes, topics, and subjects that have formed the nucleus of the director's life's work: the fate of European cinema, Haneke in Hollywood, pornography, alienation, citizenship, colonialism, and the gaze of surveillance Features critical examinations of La Pianiste, Time of the Wolf, Three Paths to the Lake and Caché, amongst others
World Cinema through Global Genres introduces the complex forces of global filmmaking using the popular concept of film genre. The cluster-based organization allows students to acquire a clear understanding of core issues that apply to all films around the world. Innovative pedagogical approach that uses genres to teach the more unfamiliar subject of world cinema A cluster-based organization provides a solid framework for students to acquire a sharper understanding of core issues that apply to all films around the world A “deep focus” section in each chapter gives students information and insights about important regions of filmmaking (India, China, Japan, and Latin America) that tend to be underrepresented in world cinema classes Case studies allow students to focus on important and accessible individual films that exemplify significant traditions and trends A strong foundation chapter reviews key concepts and vocabulary for understanding film as an art form, a technology, a business, an index of culture, a social barometer, and a political force. The engaging style and organization of the book make it a compelling text for both world cinema and film genre courses
A Companion to Martin Scorsese is a comprehensive collection of original essays assessing the career of one of America’s most prominent contemporary filmmakers. Contains contributions from prominent scholars in North America and Europe that use a variety of analytic approaches Offers fresh interpretations of some of Scorsese’s most influential films, including Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, and Hugo Considers Scorsese's place within the history of American and world cinema; his work in relation to auteur theory; the use of popular music and various themes such as violence, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender, and race in his films, and more