Movie Greats

Why are some films regarded as classics, worthy of entry into the canon of film history? Which sorts of films make the cut and why? Movie Greats questions how cinema is ranked and, in doing so, uncovers a history of critical conflict, with different aesthetic positions battling for dominance. The films examined range across the history of cinema: The Battleship Potemkin, The 39 Steps, Modern Times, Citizen Kane, It's a Wonderful Life, Black Narcissus, The Night of the Hunter, Lawrence of Arabia, 8 1/2, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Godfather, Raging Bull, The Piano and Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Each chapter opens with a brief summary of the film's plot and goes on to discuss the historical context, the key individuals who made the film, and initial and subsequent popular and critical responses. Students studying the history of film, canon formation or film aesthetics will find this book relevant, provocative and absorbing.

ISBN 1845206525   Pages 240 ISBN13 9781845206529 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher A & C Black Publishers Ltd   Weight (grammes) 497 Imprint Berg Publishers   Published in Oxford Format Hardback   Height (mm) 234 Publication date 01 Sep 2008   Width (mm) 156 Library of Congress 2008027331   Spine width (mm) 19 DEWEY 791.43   Academic level Tertiary education DEWEY edition DC22

		Introduction		1
1		So Who Says It's Great?		3
2		The Celluloid Canon		13
3		The Battleship Potemkin (USSR, 1925): The Politics of the Cinema		27
4		The 39 Steps (GB, 1935): Romance on the Run		35
5		Modern Times (US, 1936): A Tramp for All Seasons		45
6		Citizen Kane (US, 1941): The Tragedy of Ambition		53
7		It's a Wonderful Life (US, 1946): Seeking the American Hero		63
8		Black Narcissus (GB, 1947): Nuns in Exotic Places		71
9		The Night of the Hunter (US, 1955): Return of the Big Bad Wolf		81
10		Lawrence of Arabia (GB, 1962): An Englishman in the Sun		89
11		8 1/2 (Italy/France, 1963): The Director as Superstar		99
12		2001: A Space Odyssey (GB/US, 1968): The Long Voyage to Destiny		107
13		The Godfather (US, 1972): Keeping it in the Family		117
14		Raging Bull (US, 1980): The Drama of the Fight		127
15		The Piano (Australia/NZ/France, 1993): Love in a Rough Place		135
16		Kill Bill: Volume I (US, 2003): Violence as Art		143
17		The Tarnish on the Tinsel: Great Films Reconsidered		151
		Notes		163
		Further Reading		191
		Bibliography		199
		Index		223

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