Magnolia

NOTE EDITORE

Film critics and the public alike remain torn by director Paul Thomas Andersons third feature film, Magnolia. Released in 1999 -- a time of both deep cultural reflection and apocalyptic-inspired frenzy -- Anderson's ambitious and complex work was equally hailed as a cinematic masterpiece and criticized for its overblown audacity and pretentiousness. Yet few would dispute that Magnolia exhibited a level of honesty and narrative sophistication rarely seen in American cinema. Steeped in melodrama, yet playful and self-conscious in tone, it is also a "film-lover's film," one that pays careful attention to formal cinematic techniques including mise en scene, cinematography, editing, and sound. So does Magnolia take itself too seriously -- or not seriously enough? Film scholar Christina Lane re-evaluates Anderson's polarizing film in light of numerous approaches, perspectives, and interpretations, while drawing out its thematically rich elements of redemption and regeneration, family, fate, and faith. Balancing close textual analysis with consideration of authorship, genre, performance, style, culture, and historical context, Lane presents an entirely new perspective on Magnolia, revealing how this controversial work represents one of the most original specimens of contemporary American cinema.

SOMMARIO

There are certain films and shows that resonate with audiences everywherethey generate discussion and debate about everything from gender, class, citizenship and race, to consumerism and social identity. This new teachable canon of film and television introduces students to alternative classics that range from silent film to CSI. Magnolia is one of those films students know and love.  From the over-the-top performances by male and female leads to the "ripped from the pages of the Old Testament" conclusion, it is a cult favorite in American cinema This is the first book to examine the diverse themes, performances, and influences on this polarizing film, encouraging students to look beyond the films style in order to fully engage with questions about its substance Lane develops a careful analysis of the film, its director, as well as the contemporary context in which it was produced - exploring topics including the role of the auteur, what constitutes cinema / media literacy in the digital age, the politics of postmodernism, and the films critique of the mass media - in order to challenge students to ask themselves why they are so riveted by this controversial and unusual film

ALTRE INFORMAZIONI

• Condizione: Nuovo
• ISBN: 9781405184625
• Collana: Wiley–Blackwell Series in Film and Television
• Dimensioni: 225 x 15.72 x 142 mm Ø 298 gr
• Formato: Copertina rigida
• Pagine Arabe: 136