The American Left has produced a rich and varied cultural
tradition that was largely suppressed during the Cold War but whose
influence on the larger society has always been significant. Much
of this tradition found its expression in film and despite the
suppression of overtly leftist content in most Hollywood films,
there is still a substantial amount of leftist material in American
movies. Booker's study gives the attention to the films of the
American Left that they have long deserved by examining the full
range of their history. Such well known directors as Charlie
Chaplin, Orson Welles, William Wellman, Fritz Lang, John Huston,
Stanley Kubrick, Oliver Stone, and John Sayles often showed leftist
inclinations in their work. Other films associated with the
American Left have been produced in a number of modes and
subgenres, including war films, historical films, detective films,
and science fiction. Some of these directors have offered overt
criticisms of capitalism in films dealing with labor and business.
This reference book thoroughly explores leftist elements in
American films.
The book begins with a brief historical survey of the
development of this important cultural phenomenon. It then provides
detailed entries for more than 260 films associated with the
American Left. The entries are arranged chronologically, so that
the reader may trace the cinematic representation of the American
Left across time. The entries include not only plot summaries, but
also critical examinations of the political content and
implications of the films. Included are discussions of such classic
works as "Citizen Kane" and "The Grapes of Wrath, " along with
considerations of more recent films, such as "Apocalypse Now, Taxi
Driver, " and "Men with Guns." Two appendixes and index provide
alphabetical access to the entries. The individual entries provide
brief bibliographical citations, while the volume closes with a
bibliography.
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