Death in Classical Hollywood Cinema

by B. Hagin

Overview

Boaz Hagin carries out a philosophical examination of the issue of death as it is represented and problematized in Hollywood cinema of the classical era (1920s-1950s) and in later mainstream films, looking at four major genres: the Western, the gangster film, melodrama and the war film.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781349314393
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	04/09/2010
Edition description:	1st ed. 2010
Pages:	201
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

BOAZ HAGIN teaches at the Department of Film and Television at Tel Aviv University, Israel. His articles have appeared in Cinema Journal and Camera Obscura, among other publications. He is currently co-writing a book with Thomas Elsaesser on trauma, memory and fantasy in contemporary American cinema.

Table of Contents

The Meaning of Death in Classical Hollywood Two Platos: Death, Truth and Knowledge Embodying the Past Melodrama and the Shaping of Desires to Come The Cult of the Dead and Powers of the False A Perpetual Present: Death and the War Film Conclusions: The End of Classical Death Notes Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

'This highly original study is a rigorous, provocative and entertaining account of the different meanings associated with death in classical Hollywood cinema. Analyzing an impressive range of films with flair and theoretical sophistication, it shows how death becomes meaningful in art. This is an important work on Hollywood film which also helps us to understand how we incorporate the death of others into the narrative of our lives.' - Colin Davis, Professor of French, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

From the Publisher