Close-Up: Great Cinematic Performances Volume 1: America (International Film Stars) - Hardcover

Murray Pomerance; Kyle Stevens

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1474417000 ISBN 13: 9781474417006

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press, 2018

Synopsis

Analyses what makes an acting performance excellent, through a range of examples from American filmWhat actors do on-screen is a fascination for audiences all over the world. Indeed, the cultural visibility of movie stars is so pronounced that stardom has often been regarded as intrinsic to the medium's specificity. Yet not all great cinematic performances are star turns, and so, what really makes a cinematic performance good, interesting, or important has been a neglected topic in film criticism. This two-volume set presents detailed interpretations of singular performances by several of the most compelling actors in cinema history, asking in many different and complementary ways what makes performance meaningful, how it reflects a director's style, as well as how it contributes to the development of national cinemas and cultures. Whether noting the precise ways actors shape film narrative, achieve emotional effect, or move toward political subversion, the essays in these books innovate new approaches to studying screen performance as an art form and cultural force.This volume focuses on American cinema, including case studies of key performances from actors like Bette Davis, Irene Dunne, Whoopi Goldberg, Cary Grant, Oscar Isaac, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Sidney Poitier, Gena Rowlands, Peter Sellers, Kristen Stewart, and Ethel Waters, amongst many others. Contributors: Brenda Austin-Smith (University of Manitoba), Rebecca Bell-Metereau (Texas State University), Charles Ramirez Berg (University of Texas at Austin), Janet Bergstrom (UCLA John Bruns College of Charleston), Alex Clayton (University of Bristol), Shonni Enelow (Fordham University), Anna Everett (University of California, Santa Barbara), Lucy Fischer (University of Pittsburgh), Lester D. Friedman (Hobart and William Smith Colleges), Frances Gateward (California State University Northridge), David Greven (University of South Carolina), Jason Jacobs (University of Queensland), Elliott Logan (University of Queensland, Brisbane), Douglas McFarland (Flagler College, Saint Augustine), Adrienne L. McLean (University of Texas at Dallas), R. Barton Palmer (Clemson University), Homer B. Pettey (University of Arizona), Murray Pomerance (Ryerson University), William Rothman (University of Miami), Steven Rybin (Minnesota State University), MankatoKyle Stevens (Appalachian State University), George Toles (University of Manitoba), Daniel Varndell (University of Winchester), Timotheus Vermeulen (University of Oslo), Rick Warner (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

About this title

About the Author

Murray Pomerance is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Ryerson University. Kyle Stevens is Assistant Professor of Film Studies at Appalachian State University.

From the Back Cover

International Film Stars Series edited by R. Barton Palmer and Homer B. Pettey Close Up: Great Cinematic Performances Volume 1: America Edited by Murray Pomerance and Kyle Stevens 'Mustering a wide array of voices and perspectives, these gamechanging volumes provide a welcome scholarly corrective to the scandalous undervaluation of actors, acting and performance that has prevailed in cinema studies for far too long. This collection promises to shape discourse on screen acting for many years to come.' David Sterritt, Maryland Institute College of Art What actors do on-screen is a fascination for audiences all over the world. Indeed, the cultural visibility of movie stars is so pronounced that stardom has often been regarded as intrinsic to the medium's specificity. Yet not all great cinematic performances are star turns, and so, what really makes a cinematic performance good, interesting, or important has been a neglected topic in film criticism. This two-volume set presents detailed interpretations of singular performances by several of the most compelling actors in cinema history, asking in many different and complementary ways what makes performance meaningful, how it reflects a director's style, as well as how it contributes to the development of national cinemas and cultures. Whether noting the precise ways actors shape film narrative, achieve emotional effect, or move toward political subversion, the essays in these books innovate new approaches to studying screen performance as an art form and cultural force. This volume focuses on American cinema, including case studies of key performances from actors like Bette Davis, Irene Dunne, Whoopi Goldberg, Cary Grant, Oscar Isaac, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Sidney Poitier, Gena Rowlands, Peter Sellers, Kristen Stewart and Ethel Waters, among many others. Murray Pomerance is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Ryerson University. Kyle Stevens is Assistant Professor of Film Studies at Appalachian State University. Cover image: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine, Woody Allen, 2013 (c) Sony Pictures Classics/ Photofest Cover design: Workhaus

Edition details

• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1474417000
• ISBN 13: 9781474417006
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 312
• Editor: Murray Pomerance, Kyle Stevens