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A full understanding and appreciation of narrative film, George
Wilson argues, requires a concept of point of view necessarily
distinct from, yet comparable to, contemporary theories of point of
view in prose fiction. Now available in paperback, Narration in
Light lays the foundations for a new account of cinematic point of
view.
Focusing on the special ways in which a film controls the access
of its viewers to the events that constitute its narrative, Wilson
offers close viewings of five classic Hollywood movies: You Only
Live Once, North by Northwest, Letter from an Unknown Woman, The
Devil Is a Woman, and Rebel without a Cause. His enlightening and
entertaining interpretations reveal surprising power and complexity
in popular, major-studio films. Their point-of-view strategies
allow them to present both obvious and oblique perspectives on
their subjects, providing subtle critiques of ideology within
conventional drama and narrative.
Victor Perkins (1936-2016) was a foundational figure for the study
of film both as a writer and as an educationalist and teacher who
played a key role in establishing film within British higher
education. Best known for his 1972 book Film as Film, Perkins has a
worldwide reputation within film studies that has been enhanced in
recent years by the interest among emerging scholars in the
practices of detailed film criticism. His extensive writing in
journals and edited collections, spanning sixty years, is less well
known, despite its importance and quality, partly because much of
it was published in small magazines with limited distribution. V.
F. Perkins on Movies: Collected Shorter Film Criticism, edited by
Douglas Pye, makes it possible to see his writing as a coherent
body of work, developed over a long career, and to appreciate its
great historical and cultural significance. Part 1 of the book
covers Perkins's early articles from 1960 to 1972, showing the
emergence of ways of thinking about criticism and movies that
remained constant throughout his career. Perkins was one of a small
group of British writers who pioneered the serious and systematic
discussion of Hollywood cinema. Beginning at the University of
Oxford in the pages of Oxford Opinion, and then in Movie, the
journal they established in 1962, these writers mounted a sustained
critique of established writing on film, arguing for a criticism
rooted in the detailed decisions that make up the complex texture
of a film. The work Perkins published in the 1980s and beyond,
which makes up part 2 of this volume, was resolute in upholding his
critical values. It elaborated his approach in studies of
individual movies and their makers and also reflected on major
critical and conceptual issues, while maintaining his lifelong
commitment to writing accessibly in ordinary language. V. F.
Perkins on Movies gives unimpeded access to one of the most
distinctive and distinguished of critical voices and will be widely
welcomed by academics, students of film, and informed film
enthusiasts.
Victor Perkins (1936-2016) was a foundational figure for the study
of film both as a writer and as an educationalist and teacher who
played a key role in establishing film within British higher
education. Best known for his 1972 book Film as Film, Perkins has a
worldwide reputation within film studies that has been enhanced in
recent years by the interest among emerging scholars in the
practices of detailed film criticism. His extensive writing in
journals and edited collections, spanning sixty years, is less well
known, despite its importance and quality, partly because much of
it was published in small magazines with limited distribution. V.
F. Perkins on Movies: Collected Shorter Film Criticism, edited by
Douglas Pye, makes it possible to see his writing as a coherent
body of work, developed over a long career, and to appreciate its
great historical and cultural significance. Part 1 of the book
covers Perkins's early articles from 1960 to 1972, showing the
emergence of ways of thinking about criticism and movies that
remained constant throughout his career. Perkins was one of a small
group of British writers who pioneered the serious and systematic
discussion of Hollywood cinema. Beginning at the University of
Oxford in the pages of Oxford Opinion, and then in Movie, the
journal they established in 1962, these writers mounted a sustained
critique of established writing on film, arguing for a criticism
rooted in the detailed decisions that make up the complex texture
of a film. The work Perkins published in the 1980s and beyond,
which makes up part 2 of this volume, was resolute in upholding his
critical values. It elaborated his approach in studies of
individual movies and their makers and also reflected on major
critical and conceptual issues, while maintaining his lifelong
commitment to writing accessibly in ordinary language. V. F.
Perkins on Movies gives unimpeded access to one of the most
distinctive and distinguished of critical voices and will be widely
welcomed by academics, students of film, and informed film
enthusiasts.
In this concise but ambitious historiographical essay, Wilson
argues for an approach to the Meiji Restoration that emphasizes
multiple lines of motive and action.
"By bringing some very interesting critical theory to his reading,
Wilson has produced a book that will shift the terms of discussion
on this event."--Harry D. Harootunian
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