Directory of World Cinema

Bringing to mind rockers and royals, Buckingham Palace and the Scottish Highlands, Britain holds a special interest for international audiences who have flocked in recent years to quality exports like “Fish Tank”, “Trainspotting” and “The King's Speech”. A series of essays and articles exploring the definitive films of Great Britain, this addition to “Intellect's Directory of World Cinema” series turns the focus on England together with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. With a focus on the most cerebral and critically important films to have come out of Britain, this volume explores the diversity of genres found throughout British film, highlighting important regional variations that reflect the distinctive cultures of the countries involved. Within these genres, Emma Bell and Neil Mitchell have curated a rich collection of films for review—from Hitchcock's spy thriller “The 39 Steps” to Emeric Pressburger's art classic “The Red Shoes” to the gritty but heartfelt “This is England”. Interspersed throughout the book are critical essays by leading experts in the field providing insight into shifting notions of Britishness, important industry developments and the endurance of the British film industry. For those up on their Brit film facts and seeking to test their expertise, the book concludes with a series of trivia questions. A user-friendly look at the cultural and artistic significance of British cinema from the silent era to the present, “Directory of World Cinema: Britain” will be an essential companion to the country's bright and resurgent film industry.

Building on and bringing up to date the material presented in the first installment of “Directory of World Cinema: Japan”, this volume continues the exploration of the enduring classics, cult favorites, and contemporary blockbusters of Japanese cinema with new contributions from leading critics and film scholars. Among the additions to this volume are in-depth treatments of two previously unexplored genres-youth cinema and films depicting lower-class settings-considered alongside discussions of popular narrative forms, including J-Horror, samurai cinema, anime, and the Japanese New Wave. Accompanying the critical essays in this volume are more than 150 new film reviews, complemented by full-color film stills, and significantly expanded references for further study. From the Golden Age to the film festival favorites of today, “Directory of World Cinema: Japan 2” completes this comprehensive treatment of a consistently fascinating national cinema.

Part of the “Directory of World Cinema” series, this title includes contributions from some of the leading academics in the field. It features film recommendations from a range of genres for those interested in watching more cinema from these regions. It also features comprehensive filmography as an index. Given the prevalence of important new wave cinemas across Eastern Central Europe in the post-war, post-Stalinist era (Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia), this new volume of the Directory of World Cinema series charts the trends of these national cinemas. In the decades since the 1970s, the continuing popularity of filmmakers from these countries (including Krzysztof Kieslowski, Béla Tarr, István Szabó and Jiri Menzel), coupled with a recent international surge in the visibility of the cinemas of Serbia, Slovakia and Romania, means that these countries in East Central Europe are a central focus in the directory. Introductory essays of this title establish key players and explore important genres such as war, comedy, surrealism and art cinema while reviews and case studies analyse individual titles in considerable depth. For the film studies scholar, or for all those who love cinema and want to learn more, “Directory of World Cinema: East Europe” will be an essential companion.

From bleak Expressionist works to the edgy political cinema of the New German Cinema and the feel-good Heimat films of the postwar era, “Directory of World Cinema: Germany” aims to offer a wider film and cultural context for the films that have emerged from Germany—including some of the East German films recently made available to Western audiences for the first time. With contributions by leading academics and emerging scholars in the field, this volume explores the key directors, themes and periods in German film history, and demonstrates how genres have been adapted over time to fit historical circumstances. Rounding out this addition to the “Directory of World Cinema” series are fifty full-colour stills, numerous reviews and recommendations and a comprehensive filmography.

An important addition to Intellect's popular series, “Directory of World Cinema: Finland” provides historical and cultural overviews of the country's cinema. Over the course of their contributions to this volume, scholars from a variety of disciplines construct a collective argument that complicates the dominant international view of Finnish cinema as small-scale industry dominated by realist art-house films. The contributors approach the topic from a variety of angles, covering genre, art and commercial films; independent productions; blockbuster cinema; and Finnish cinema's industrial and historical contexts. While paying heed to Finland's cultural specificity, the contributors also explore Finnish cultural industries within the broader context of international political, economic, artistic and industrial developments. Together, they skillfully depict an ever-changing national film culture that plays a dynamic role in the global cinematic landscape. Directory of World Cinema: Finland will therefore expand not only global interest in Finnish cinema but also the parameters within which it is discussed.

With its sprawling celebrity homes, the Walk of Fame and the iconic sign on the hill, Hollywood is truly the land of stars. Glamorous and larger-than-life, many of the most memorable motion pictures of all time have emanated from its multimillion-dollar film industry, which exports more films per capita than that of any other nation. Directory of World Cinema: American Hollywood lays out the cinematic history of Tinseltown—the industry, the audiences and, of course, the stars—highlighting important thematic and cultural elements throughout. Profiles and analyses of many of the industry's most talented and prolific directors give insights into their impact on Hollywood and beyond. A slate of blockbuster successes—and notable flops—are here discussed, providing insight into the ever-shifting aesthetic of Hollywood's enormous global audience. User-friendly and concise yet containing an astonishing amount of information, “Directory of World Cinema: American Hollywood” shows how truly indispensable the Hollywood film industry is and provides a fascinating account of its cultural and artistic significance as it marks its centennial.

While Italian cinema has long been popular with international audiences, a surprising unfamiliarity remains regarding the rich traditions from which its most fascinating moments arose. “Directory of World Cinema: Italy” aims to offer a wide film and cultural context for Italian cinema's key aspects, from political radicalism to opera, from the art house to popular cinema. Essays by leading academics about prominent genres, directors, and themes provide insight into the cinema of Italy and are bolstered by reviews of significant titles. From the silent spectacle to the giallo, the spaghetti western to the neorealist masterworks of Rossellini, this book offers a comprehensive historical sweep of Italian cinema that will appeal to film scholars and cinephiles alike.

Though loved by moviegoers worldwide, Spanish cinema has thus far suffered from a relative lack of critical attention. Focusing on the vast corpus of films that have left their marks on generations of spectators, “Directory of World Cinema: Spain” returns the national cinema of Spain rightfully to the forefront with numerous full-colour stills and essays establishing the key players and genres in their sociopolitical context, including civil war films, romances, comedies and the cinema of the transition. From the award-winning big-budget productions of Pedro Almodóvar in Madrid to Pere Portabella's experimental documentaries and the influential Barcelona School, reviews cover individual titles in considerable depth. Essential reading for aficionados of Spanish cinema at all levels, this volume provides an accessible overview of the main trends and issues in Spanish film.

Iranian cinema has an extraordinary history that has been marked by religion and ever-shifting political, economic, and social environments. This addition to “Intellect's Directory of World Cinema” series turns the spotlight on the award-winning cinema of that nation, with particular attention to the major movements, historical turning points, and prominent figures that have helped shape it. A wide range of genres are presented, including comedy, Film Farsi, new wave, children's films, art house film, and women's cinema. For the film studies scholar, students working on alternative or national cinema, or for all those who love Persian cinema and wish to learn more, “Directory of World Cinema: Iran” will be an essential companion to this prolific and prominent film industry.

Commended for their social relevance and artistic value, Chinese films remain at the forefront of international cinema, bolstered in recent years by a new generation of talented young filmmakers. Directory of World Cinema: China presents an accessible overview of the definitive films of Hong Kong and mainland China, with particular attention to the achievements of prolific industry figures, the burgeoning independent sector and the embrace of avant-garde practices of art cinema. Spanning a variety of characteristic genres, including horror, heroic bloodshed, romantic comedy and kung-fu, reviews cover individual titles in considerable depth and are accompanied by a selection of full-colour film stills. A comprehensive filmography and a bibliography of recommended reading complete this essential companion to Chinese cinema.