From one of the greatest living writers on film, a magisterial look
at a century of battle depicted on screen, and a meditation on the
twisted relationship between war and the movies. “Thomson’s own
genius is his ability to remain one of the leading authorities on
cinematic history, without shying away from the controversial.
Cinephiles seeking provocative arguments will appreciate his
work.”—Library Journal In The Fatal Alliance the
acclaimed film critic David Thomson offers us one of his most
provocative books yet—a rich, arresting, and troubling
study of that most beloved genre: the war movie. It is not a
standard history or survey of war films, although Thomson turns his
typically piercing eye to many favorites—from All Quiet on
the Western Front to The Bridge on the River
Kwai to Saving Private Ryan. But The Fatal
Alliance does much more, exploring how war and cinema
in the twentieth century became inextricably linked. Movies
had only begun to exist by the beginning of World War I, yet in
less than a century, had transformed civilian experience of
war—and history itself—for millions around the globe. This
reality is the moral conundrum at the heart of Thomson’s book.
War movies bring both prestige and are so often box office
blockbusters; but is there something problematic at how much
moviegoers enjoy depictions of violence on a grand scale, such
as Apocalypse Now, Black Hawk Down, or even Star Wars?
And what does this truth say about us, our culture, and our
changing sense of warfare and the past?
General
Imprint: |
Harper
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
November 2023 |
Authors: |
David Thomson
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 32mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
448 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-06-304141-7 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-06-304141-3 |
Barcode: |
9780063041417 |
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