Understanding Film Theory

ISBN-13: 9781137528230 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017 / 325 str.

Ruth Doughty; Christine Etherington-Wright

Opis

This book shows how theory can be drawn upon to gain a greater understanding of the complexity and meaning of the films that students watch and study, making it an ideal entry point for anyone tasked with applying theory to their academic work.

Spis treści

Introduction 1. Auteur Theory 2. Adaptations 3. Genre Theory 4. Formalism 5. Structuralism and Post-structuralism 6. Marxism 7. Realism 8. Postmodernism 9. Psychoanalysis 10. Feminism 11. Masculinity 12. Queer Theory 13. Race and Ethnicity 14. Postcolonial and Transnational Cinemas 15. Stars 16. Audience Research and Reception 16. Conclusion.

O autorze

Ruth Doughty is the Programme Leader in Film Studies at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. She is one of the co-founding editors of the journal Transnational Cinemas and co-edited Sound and Music in Film and Visual Media (2009).

Christine Etherington-Wright is Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for the BA Film Studies at the University of Portsmouth, UK. She is the author of Gender, Professions, Discourse (Palgrave, 2008). 

Blurb

Film theory has a reputation for being challenging. Often requiring time and effort to fully grasp it and seeming rather old-fashioned, it can be difficult to approach the subject with enthusiasm and appreciate its relevance to modern day.

Understanding Film Theory aims to disassociate theory from these connotations and bring a fresh, modern and accessible approach to the discipline. Now comprehensively updated in a second edition, the book’s sixteen chapters - including a new chapter on Adaptations - continue to provide an insight into the main areas of debate. Taking the application of theory as its central theme, the text incorporates a number of innovative features: ‘Reflect and Respond’ sections encourage readers to engage critically with theoretical concepts, while seminal texts are concisely summarised without oversimplifying key points.

Throughout the book the authors illustrate why theory is important and demonstrate how it can be applied in a meaningful way, with relevant case studies drawn from both classic and contemporary cinema including: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Run Lola Run (1998), The Hunger Games (2012), Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013) and The Lego Movie (2014). Additional case studies address key genres (the British Gangster film and the musical), film movements (Dogme 95), individual actors (Ryan Gosling, Judi Dench and Amitabh Bachchan) and directors (Alfred Hitchcock and Guillermo del Toro).

Understanding Film Theory is an approachable and extensive introduction to film theory. It is the ideal entry point for any student studying film, using clear definitions and explaining complex ideas succinctly.