This post will highlight some of the recent books the EFL has received with a focus on film studies.
New to the EFL are two books by Patrick Keating which focus on the technical elements of film and how they shape Hollywood film. Hollywood Lighting (2014) explores the role of lighting in Hollywood films from the silent period to film noir and how it performs essential functions within the films. It also considers how lighting was used when handling challenges in relation to specific films such as Girl Shy (1924) and Anna Karenina (1935). The Dynamic Frame (2019) examines the history of camera movement and how it was used to enrich stories and shape the Hollywood style. Keating also explores technological advancements and how this created new possibilities for cinematography, as well as the changing cultural contexts which provided new inspiration for filmmakers.
Another new book focusing on Hollywood film is Stanley Cavell and the Magic of Hollywood Films by Daniel Shaw (2019). The book examines the American philosophical foundations of Hollywood film through the work of the American philosopher Cavell. Shaw considers the work of Cavell and how the philosophical influences of Emerson and Thoreau shaped his thoughts concerning film and his belief that the greatest Hollywood films depict the struggle to become who we really are. Shaw applies these theories to interpret a range of films.
Also new to the EFL is an interdisciplinary approach to African American Film, African America Cinema Through Black Lives Consciousness (2019). The authors of the chapters in this anthology of essays use critical race theory to discuss contemporary issues in relation to American film, with a focus on race, sexuality, class and gender. The book embraces a range of social experiences to provide a varied approach to African American film.
Turning to British films, British Art Cinema (2019) focuses on British films and cultural history from the 20th century onwards, arguing that Britain has a long history of experiment and artistry beyond the mainstream films. Newland and Hoyle argue that whilst there is a long standing tradition within British art cinema, it is also a fluid concept with broader concerns in relation to the changing society and cultures.
Screening the Royal Shakespeare Company (2019) explores the history of Shakespeare’s adaptions and the involvement of the RSC in these adaptions, from on the screen from television adaptions to live cinema screenings. Wyver investigates questions of adaptation and how this influences those involved in the process. Wyver is a broadcasting historian, the television producer of Hamlet and of RSC Live from Stratford-upon-Avon. Therefore, through drawing on his experiences he so offers a vivid account.
These books can be found on the New Books Display for a short time, and are available to borrow. Please click on the images above to go to direct to the book on SOLO.
Find more new books related to film studies and Hollywood on the EFL LibraryThing with books tagged with film studies.