ABOUT THIS BOOK

Traditions in World Cinema brings together a colorful and wide ranging collection of world cinematic traditions—national, regional, and global—all of which are in need of introduction, investigation and, in some cases, critical reassessment. The movements described range from well-known traditions such as German expressionism, Italian neorealism, French, British, and Czech new wave, and new Hollywood cinema to those of emerging significance, such as Danish Dogma, postcommunist cinema, Brazilian post–Cinema Novo, new Argentine cinema, pre-independence African film traditions, Israeli persecution films, new Iranian cinema, Hindi film songs, Chinese wenyi pian melodrama, Japanese horror, and global found-footage cinema.

The essays, all written by recognized experts in the field, are jargon free and accessible to both general readers and students. In addition, each chapter is followed by a list of suggested films and readings, offering readers pathways to further viewing and study.

Bringing fresh insights to those movements that have provided significant and noteworthy alternatives to Hollywood, this book is an essential introduction to the rich diversity of world cinema.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

LINDA BADLEY is Professor of English and Film Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. She is the author of Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic (1995), Writing Horror and the Body (1996), and Lars von Trier (2010), and the co-editor of Traditions in World Cinema (2006).

R. BARTON PALMER is the Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature at Clemson University, where he directs the film studies program. He is the author, editor, or general editor of many books including Hollywood’s Dark Cinema: The American Film Noir (1994), After Hitchcock: Influence, Imitation, and Intertextuality (2006), and A Little Solitaire: John Frankenheimer and American Film (2011).

STEVEN JAY SCHNEIDER is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Media Culture at the City University of New York.

REVIEWS

Traditions in World Cinema takes sophisticated and wide-ranging approach… This collection contains plenty of useful and informative material [and] several chapters throw light on neglected corners of cinematic history.

— Times Literary Supplement

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface (Toby Miller)
Introduction (Linda Badley & R. Barton Palmer)
I. European Traditions
1. German Expressionism (J.P. Telotte)
2. Italian Neorealism (Peter Bondanella)
3. The French New Wave (Richard Neupert)
4. The British New Wave (R. Barton Palmer)
II. Central, Eastern and Northern European Traditions
5. The Czechoslovak New Wave (Peter Hames)
6. Danish Dogma (Linda Badley)
7. Post-Communist Cinema (Christina Stojanova)
III. South American Traditions
8. Post-Cinema Novo Brazilian Cinema (Randal Johnson)
9. New Argentine Cinema (Myrto Konstantarakos)
IV. African and Middle Eastern Traditions
10. Early Cinematic Traditions in Africa (Roy Armes)
11. Israeli Persecution Films (Nitzan Ben-Shaul)
12. New Iranian Cinema (Negar Mottahedeh)
V. Asian Traditions
13. Popular Hindi Cinema and the Film Song (Corey Creekmur)
14. Chinese Melodrama (Stephen Teo)
15. Japanese Horror Cinema (Jay McRoy)
VI. American and Transnational Traditions
16. The 'New' American Cinema (Robert Kolker)
17. The Global Art of Found Footage Cinema (Adrian Danks).