Post-Theory: Reconstructing Film Studies (Wisconsin Studies in Film) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0299149447 ISBN 13: 9780299149444

Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press, 1996

Synopsis

With "Post-Theory," David Bordwell and Noel Carroll challenge the prevailing practices of film scholarship. Since the 1970s, film scholars have been searching for a unified theory that will explain all sorts of films, their production, and their reception; the field has been dominated by structuralist Marxism, varieties of cultural theory, and the psychoanalytic ideas of Freud and Lacan. Bordwell and Carroll ask, why not employ many theories tailored to specific goals, rather than searching for a unified theory? "Post-Theory" offers fresh directions for understanding film, presenting new essays by twenty-seven scholars on topics as diverse as film scores, audience response, and the national film industries of Russia, Scandinavia, the U.S., and Japan. They use historical, philosophical, psychological, and feminist methods to tackle such basic issues as: What goes on when viewers perceive a film? How do filmmakers exploit conventions? How do movies create illusions? How does a film arouse emotion? Bordwell and Carroll have given space not only to distinguished film scholars but to non-film specialists as well, ensuring a wide variety of opinions and ideas on virtually every topic on the current agenda of film studies. Full of stimulating essays published here for the first time, "Post-Theory" promises to redefine the study of cinema.

About this title

Product Description:

Since the 1970s, film scholars have been searching for a unified theory that will explain all types of film, their production and their reception; the field has been dominated by structuralist Marxism, varieties of cultural theory and the psychoanalytic ideas of Freud and Lacan. The authors of this text ask why not employ many theories tailored to specific goals, rather than search for a unified theory. They offer directions for understanding film, presenting essays by 27 scholars on topics as diverse as film scores, audience response and the national film industries of Russia, Scandinavia, the US and Japan. Using historical, philosophical, psychological and feminist methods, the book examines issues such as: what goes on when viewers perceive a film?; how do filmmakers exploit conventions?; how do movies create illusions?; and how does a film arouse emotion?

Review:

""Post-Theory" is absolutely timely as a call to reform the field of film studies. Bordwell and Carroll--two of the most prominent names in the field--advocate pluralism, open mindedness, film theories over film Theory, and the need for an ongoing critical dialogue. There is no other book like it."--Andrew Horton, author of "Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay"
"Post-Theory" is absolutely timely as a call to reform the field of film studies. Bordwell and Carroll two of the most prominent names in the field advocate pluralism, open mindedness, film theories over film Theory, and the need for an ongoing critical dialogue. There is no other book like it. Andrew Horton, author of "Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay"
"

Post-Theory is absolutely timely as a call to reform the field of film studies. Bordwell and Carroll two of the most prominent names in the field advocate pluralism, open mindedness, film theories over film Theory, and the need for an ongoing critical dialogue. There is no other book like it. Andrew Horton, author of Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay
"

"Post-Theory is absolutely timely as a call to reform the field of film studies. Bordwell and Carroll--two of the most prominent names in the field--advocate pluralism, open mindedness, film theories over film Theory, and the need for an ongoing critical dialogue. There is no other book like it."--Andrew Horton, author of Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0299149447
• ISBN 13: 9780299149444
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 582
• Editor: Bordwell David