Radical Visions discusses an important period in American film history: Films such as
Bonnie and Clyde,
The Graduate,
McCabe and Mrs. Miller,
Midnight Cowboy,
Nashville, and
Taxi Driver challenged the narrative structure and style of the classical Hollywood paradigm, transformed its conventional genres, exploded traditional American myths, and foregrounded a consciousness of the cinematic process. Film students, scholars, and aficionados will gain insight into generic conventions and narrative style presented within the cultural attitudes of the time. The book features a chronological movement through the period, not by auteur but by film, from
Bonnie and Clyde to
Taxi Driver. It includes in-depth analyses of 16 films, but discusses other films when relevant. It traces the thematic development of the films as the period progresses from an optimistic radicalism at the beginning, to doubt and shattered dreams, to paranoia and pessimism at the end. It summarizes contemporary reviews and reactions to the films as they came out and gauges the films' interactions with audiences and the society of the time. It also discusses European filmmakers' influences on the films of the period. The book supports and solidifies the view of a Hollywood renaissance during this period, and it more sharply defines and delineates the parameters and characteristics of the period than previous studies.
An important period that challenged the narrative structure and style of the classical Hollywood paradigm, transformed its conventional genres, and exploded traditional American myths.About the AuthorGLENN MAN is Associate Professor and Chair, English Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he teaches courses in film and literature./e His articles on film and on film and literature have appeared in
New Orleans Review,
Literature/Film Quarterly,
East-West Film Journal, and
Film Criticism.
Book InformationISBN 9780313293061
Author Glenn ManFormat Hardback
Page Count 232
Imprint Praeger Publishers IncPublisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Series Contributions to the Study of Popular CultureWeight(grams) 510g