The Gangster Film Reader

Regular price RM34.00 MYR
Unit price
per
Compare to estimated retail price: RM102.00 MYR  

Definitive exploration of classic gangster film genre.

If you've ever been intrigued by the allure of the gritty underworld depicted in classic cinema, "The Gangster Film Reader" might just deepen your appreciation for the iconic genre that immortalized the likes of Al Capone and John Dillinger. Alain Silver and James Ursini have crafted an anthology that not only revisits the foundational films that set the tommy guns blazing but also connects the bloody dots all the way to modern interpretations like "The Sopranos." It's an offer you can't refuse if you're keen on understanding how the gangster narrative has shaped and been shaped by American culture.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Gangster Film Reader

Regular price RM34.00 MYR
Unit price
per
Compare to estimated retail price: RM102.00 MYR  
Condition guide

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ISBN: 9780879103323
Publisher: Limelight
Date of Publication: 2007-02-01
Format: Paperback
Goodreads rating: 3.67
(rated by 15 readers)

Description

In the 1930s the gangster film in the United States coincided with a very real and very sensational gangsterism at large in American society. Little Caesar (1931), The Public Enemy (1931), and Scarface (1932) borrowed liberally from the newspapers and books of the era. With the release of just these three motion pictures in barely more than a year's time, Hollywood quintessentially defined the genre. The characters, the situations, and the icons – from fast cars and tommy-guns to fancy fedoras and fancier molls – established the audience expectations associated with the gangster film that remain in force to this day. As with their Film Noir Reader series, using both reprints of seminal articles and new pieces, editors Silver and Ursini have assembled a group of essays that presents an exhaustive overview of this still vital genre. Reprints of work by such well-known film historians as Robin Wood, Andrew Sarris, Carlos Clarens, Paul Schrader, and Stuart Kaminsky explore the evolution of the gangster film through the 1970s and The Godfather. Parts 2 and 3 comprise two dozen newer articles, most of them written expressly for this volume by Ursini and Silver. These case studies and thematic analyses, from White Heat to the remake of Scarface to “The Sopranos” complete the anthology.
 

Definitive exploration of classic gangster film genre.

If you've ever been intrigued by the allure of the gritty underworld depicted in classic cinema, "The Gangster Film Reader" might just deepen your appreciation for the iconic genre that immortalized the likes of Al Capone and John Dillinger. Alain Silver and James Ursini have crafted an anthology that not only revisits the foundational films that set the tommy guns blazing but also connects the bloody dots all the way to modern interpretations like "The Sopranos." It's an offer you can't refuse if you're keen on understanding how the gangster narrative has shaped and been shaped by American culture.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.