Refocus: the Films of William Wyler John Price 9781399510462

Examines the extensive and diverse oeuvre of American filmmaker William Wyler Explores Wyler's work in connection with current themes and topics in film studies Provides cultural and political contexts for Wyler's films, including representations of class, gender, and race Assesses the relationship between classic Hollywood's studio system and the auteur theory and Wyler's hybrid influence on the history of cinema In his forty-five-year career, William Wyler not only traversed the silent and the sound eras, but also connected classic Hollywood to new Hollywood." The range of his films also spans a wide spectrum of genres: from westerns to adaptations of classic literature, from crime thrillers to rom-coms, and from controversial topics to musicals. His three Oscars for Best Director are an achievement surpassed only by John Ford. His life experience as one of Hollywood's early immigrant artists also speaks to the foreign influence on classic Hollywood. Yet despite his awards and commercial success, artistic recognition has mostly eluded Wyler. This volume of the ReFocus series attempts to analyze this Wyler paradox and also seeks to contextualize and theorize selections from Wyler's canon and his relationship to American cinematic history and American culture. This collection has gathered contributions from international authors from extremely diverse backgrounds, and therefore differing perspectives on Wyler and his work. "

About the Author
John M. Price has a PhD in Film and Literature and previously taught English at Northern Illinois University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He has over twenty years of experience as a producer, director, scriptwriter, and lighting director, working on award-winning film and television productions. He has also contributed to several journals and edited collections including: The Performativity of Villainy and Evil in Anglophone Literature and Media (2021), Critical Insights: Alfred Hitchcock (2017), Jonathan Swift and Philosophy (2017), Poli-Femo: Letteratura e Arti (2016), and Literature/Film Quarterly (2019).

Reviews
"With twelve Oscar nominations for Best Director a record that still stands and three combined wins for Best Director and Best Picture, William Wyler is a giant of American film history. But compared to the shelves of books discussing the films of John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, and other luminaries, his work has only rarely received its due. John M. Price's Refocus volume aims to remedy that omission and succeeds handsomely." -Leo Braudy, University of Southern California



Book Information
ISBN 9781399510462
Author John Price
Format Hardback
Page Count 304
Imprint Edinburgh University Press
Publisher Edinburgh University Press
Series ReFocus: The American Directors Series