"A History of Violence" meets a History of Classical Cinema


Book Description

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2011 im Fachbereich Filmwissenschaft, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Der Stempel Mainstream verheißt in den seltensten Fällen etwas "Gutes"1. Im Gegenteil: Selbst in jenen Besprechungen, die einen massenwirksamen Film als gelungene Ausnahme markieren, stigmatisieren sie meist im gleichen Atemzug a priori die Gattung als Ganzes als etwas, was sich geistig nicht lohne.2 Oder unternehmen Versuche, die Ausnahme wieder ins stereotype Licht zurückzusetzen3, in dem auf die außergewöhnliche Voraussetzungen, die zu diesem einzigartigen Resultat geführt haben, mehr eingegangen wird, als auf den Film (als Text) selbst. A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE gehört als sog. Ausnahme in den Kern dieser Debatte, wird er von Kritikern als Cronenbergs kommerziellste Arbeit eingeschätzt4 und zugleich dafür kritisiert, wenn Der Tagespiegel gar fragt, ob Cronenberg sich etwa in den Mainstream verirrt habe5; suggerierend, dass dieser Begriff ein Universum sei, das man tunlichst zu meiden habe. Erstaunlich ist dabei, dass das mit Kitsch und Eskapismus assoziierte "Unwort" schwerlich von der Zielgruppe selbst verwendet wird, wird man den "Mainstreambegriff kaum im Foyer eines Multiplex"6 hören. Als habe die Kritik exklusiv für sich gepachtet um mittels dieses Vokabulars zwischen Kunst und Massenware zu polarisieren, wenn im Mainstream mal wieder ein minderwertiges "Kino der anderen"7 gesehen werden soll. Dabei wird selten selbst ein objektiver Begriff dieser Gattung vorgenommen. Am Beispiel von Cronenbergs A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE soll dargestellt und diskutiert werden, wie sich im Mainstreamkino Erzählweisen herausgebildet haben, die von den idealtypischen Merkmalen des Classical Cinema of Narration (nach David Bordwell) signifikant abweichen respektive ob diese "Flexibilisierungen der (Erzähl-)Konzepte"8 überhaupt noch von einem eindeutigen, abweichbaren Schemata des Unterhaltungskinos ausgehen können oder ob es selbst nicht vielmehr




A History of Violence


Book Description

Originally published: New York: Paradox Press, 1997.




Film


Book Description

This clear, well illustrated text takes the reader through the basics of film analysis, drawing on a wide range of film for discussion. Questions of genre and the contexts and meanings of film are considered.




Action Speaks Louder


Book Description

An authoritative and entertaining history of the action film




When Heimat Meets Hollywood


Book Description

Contemporary connections between German directors and Hollywood and their implications for German, American, and transnational film.The film histories of Germany and the United States have long been seen as intertwined, but scholarship has focused on émigré works of the 1930s and 1940s, on links between Weimar film and American film noir, and on the conflictedrelationship between directors of the New German Cinema and Hollywood. Recently, German film studies has begun reexamining the interconnection of the two film cultures and focusing on the internationalism of German cinema, but little research has been done on contemporary German directors'' involvement in American cinema, a gap in scholarship that this book fills. The study offers ways of understanding current German cinematic engagement with America and different directorial responses to the hegemonic pressures of Hollywood. It delineates the historical trajectory of German-American film relations in the 20th century, then analyzes the careers and works of four German-born directors who have significant ties with American cinema: Wolfgang Petersen, Roland Emmerich, Percy Adlon, and Tom Tykwer. A series of close readings of their productions isolates the cinematic practices and strategies with which these filmmakers negotiate the different national cultural and cinematic paradigms they traverse. The book analyzes constructions of national cultural identity, probes the boundaries of national cinemas, and expands our understanding ofemerging hybrid film cultures. It is a contribution to German film studies and to the emerging field of transnational film studies. Christine Haase is Associate Professor of German at the University of Georgia.s of four German-born directors who have significant ties with American cinema: Wolfgang Petersen, Roland Emmerich, Percy Adlon, and Tom Tykwer. A series of close readings of their productions isolates the cinematic practices and strategies with which these filmmakers negotiate the different national cultural and cinematic paradigms they traverse. The book analyzes constructions of national cultural identity, probes the boundaries of national cinemas, and expands our understanding ofemerging hybrid film cultures. It is a contribution to German film studies and to the emerging field of transnational film studies. Christine Haase is Associate Professor of German at the University of Georgia.s of four German-born directors who have significant ties with American cinema: Wolfgang Petersen, Roland Emmerich, Percy Adlon, and Tom Tykwer. A series of close readings of their productions isolates the cinematic practices and strategies with which these filmmakers negotiate the different national cultural and cinematic paradigms they traverse. The book analyzes constructions of national cultural identity, probes the boundaries of national cinemas, and expands our understanding ofemerging hybrid film cultures. It is a contribution to German film studies and to the emerging field of transnational film studies. Christine Haase is Associate Professor of German at the University of Georgia.s of four German-born directors who have significant ties with American cinema: Wolfgang Petersen, Roland Emmerich, Percy Adlon, and Tom Tykwer. A series of close readings of their productions isolates the cinematic practices and strategies with which these filmmakers negotiate the different national cultural and cinematic paradigms they traverse. The book analyzes constructions of national cultural identity, probes the boundaries of national cinemas, and expands our understanding ofemerging hybrid film cultures. It is a contribution to German film studies and to the emerging field of transnational film studies. Christine Haase is Associate Professor of German at the University of Georgia.paradigms they traverse. The book analyzes constructions of national cultural identity, probes the boundaries of national cinemas, and expands our understanding ofemerging hybrid film cultures. It is a contribution to German film studies and to the emerging field of transnational film studies. Christine Haase is Associate Professor of German at the University of Georgia.




Classical Film Violence


Book Description

Examines the interplay between the aesthetics and the censorship of violence in classic Hollywood films from 1930 to 1968, the era of the Production Code, when filmmakers were required to have their scripts approved before they could start production. A stylistic history of American screen violence that is grounded in industry documentation. [back cover].




A Fiery & Furious People


Book Description

*Chosen as a Book of the Year by The Times, History Today and the Sunday Telegraph* ‘Wonderfully entertaining, comprehensive and astute.’ The Times ‘Genuinely hard to put down.’ BBC History Magazine From murder to duelling, highway robbery to mugging: the darker side of English life explored. Spanning some seven centuries, A Fiery & Furious People traces the subtle shifts that have taken place both in the nature of violence and in people’s attitudes to it. How could football be regarded at one moment as a raucous pastime that should be banned, and the next as a respectable sport that should be encouraged? When did the serial killer first make an appearance? What gave rise to particular types of violent criminal - medieval outlaws, Victorian garrotters – and what made them dwindle and then vanish? Above all, Professor James Sharpe hones in on a single, fascinating question: has the country that has experienced so much turmoil naturally prone to violence or are we, in fact, becoming a gentler nation? ‘Wonderful . . . A fascinating and rare example of a beautifully crafted scholarly work.’ Times Higher Education ‘Sweeping and ambitious . . . A humane and clear-eyed guide to a series of intractable and timely questions.’ Observer ‘Deeply researched, thoughtfully considered and vividly written . . . Read it.’ History Today ‘Magisterial . . . The outlaw’s song has surely never been better rendered.’ Times Literary Supplement




Bigger Than Blockbusters


Book Description

Whether it's the hum drum existence of Marion Crane and her illicit love affair, the psychotic antics of Norman Bates, the sudden irrational migration of birds, a crop duster swooping down on Roger Thornhill in the middle of nowhere, or Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace's unforgettable dance at Jack Rabbit Slim's - they are all cinematic moments that forever changed the psyche and viewing experience of American audiences. Bigger Than Blockbusters: Movies That Defined America tells the stories behind the most significant and influential films in American culture, movies that have had a profound influence on the literary, cinematic and popular culture of our time. Arranged chronologically, the volume gives readers an opportunity to place the films within the context of the social and cultural historic dynamic of the time, making this an ideal source for student papers and reports. Each entry includes the filmmaker, actors, release information, a synopsis of the film, critics' reviews, awards, current availability, and then background on the making of the film in an artistic, economic, and technological context. Spanning all genres, including horror and drama, adventure, comedy, musicals, science fiction, and more, this volume is loaded with enough trivia and factoids to satisfy even the most die-hard movie buff. Also included are other Greatest Films compilations from the National Society of Film Critics and noteworthy sources for comparative purposes. Guaranteed to inspire forays into film favorites as well as some very lively debate, this resource is essential reading for film lovers and students alike.




Screening Violence 1


Book Description

Following the release in 1967 of "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Dirty Dozen", violence has been seen as a defining feature of the modern film. Is it art or exploitation? Danger or liberation? This volume provides an exmination of the history and effects of graphic violence on film.




I Saw That Movie, Too: Selected Film Reviews


Book Description

Brian W. Fairbanks, Entertainment Editor at Paris Woman Journal in Paris, France, "has a talent for extracting the essence of a given subject and articulating it in a meaningful way."In I SAW THAT MOVIE, TOO, he extracts the essence from several hundred films, and articulates some of the most meaningful opinions on the cinema you'll ever read. In the foreword, he also offers a perceptive analysis of the way that movies, more importantly, the way we "see" movies, has changed from the time he was a young movie buff "obsessed by that light in the darkness" to the era of the multiplex and the DVD.As one reader says, he has "a sophisticated yet effortlessly readable style." Smart, insightful, always honest, but never pretentious, Fairbanks is a life-long film buff who backs up his opinions with a knowledge of both the art and artifice of cinema.