In state and public discussion about war and conflict, figures of transgression such as deserters, pacifist and emigrants are often marginalised, but they also play a key role in rethinking cultural and national identity in the wake of military violence. Raising questions of agency, responsibility and culpability in relation to the 'other', their cultural representation can enable reflection on and renegotiation of values and collective norms after the destabilisation of war.Through an interdisciplinary lens, this collection analyses the depiction of these transgressive figures in a variety of visual media, as well as the narrative, socio-cultural, political and historical contexts in which they emerge.

The battles fought in the name of the war on terror have re-ignited questions about the changing nature of war, and the experience of war for those geographically distant from its real world consequences. What is missing from our highly mediated experience of war? What are the intentional and unintentional processes of erasure through which the distortion happens? What are their consequences?

Action cinema is a popular and familiar form which reflects the cultural, industrial and historical landscape from which it emerges. Lisa Purse analyses the genre's pleasures and complexities in the light of both its cinematic history and the latest critical debates. Focussing on action cinema of the 2000s, this book explores issues of visual style, narrative, representation and the various contexts of production through a diverse series of case studies including Avatar (2009), Casino Royale (2006), The Hurt Locker (2008) and Banlieue 13 (2004). Providing a groundbreaking account of the way that the spectator engages with the action body and the action narrative, and including analyses of areas of representation that have seldom received sustained attention in the past, this comprehensive study is the perfect companion to modern action cinema. Key Features * Provides wide-ranging analyses and interpretation of action cinema * Discusses representations of heroism, gender and ethnicity * Explores the spectator's embodied engagement with the action film * Examines the effect of 9/11 and changes in US foreign policy

The battles fought in the name of the 'war on terror' have re-ignited questions about the changing nature of war, and the experience of war for those geographically distant from its real world consequences. What is missing from our highly mediated experience of war? What are the intentional and unintentional processes of erasure through which the distortion happens? What are their consequences? Cinema is a key site at which questions about our highly mediated experience of war can be addressed or, more significantly, elided. Looking at a range of films that have provoked debate, from award-winning features like Zero Dark Thirty and American Sniper, to documentaries like Kill List and Dirty Wars, as well as at the work of visual artists like Harun Farocki and Omer Fast, this book examines the practices of erasure in the cinematic representation of recent military interventions. Drawing on representations of war-related death, dying and bodily damage, this provocative collection addresses 'what's missing' in existing scholarly responses to modern warfare; in film studies, as well as in politics and international relations.

In state and public discussion about war and conflict, figures of transgression such as deserters, pacifist and emigrants are often marginalised, but they also play a key role in rethinking cultural and national identity in the wake of military violence. Raising questions of agency, responsibility and culpability in relation to the 'other', their cultural representation can enable reflection on and renegotiation of values and collective norms after the destabilisation of war. Through an interdisciplinary lens, this collection analyses the depiction of these transgressive figures in a variety of visual media, as well as the narrative, socio-cultural, political and historical contexts in which they emerge.

This book explores how film analysis can take account of the presence of digital images in cinema. Digital images are now ubiquitous elements within the cinematic frame but, as we analyse films or film moments, it can often be difficult to be sure how - and how much - to talk about digital elements. This accessible book demystifies the relationship of digital imaging to processes of watching and reading films, and gives scholars and students the tools to engage with digital imaging in cinema with ease. A wide-ranging series of case studies demonstrates how digital elements can be discussed and analysed in different scenarios, and a language is developed to describe digital elements accurately. Not just for digital effects enthusiasts, this book is essential for anyone interested in how to approach film critically: it is a toolbox for contemporary film analysis. Key features: this is the first book exploring how the presence of digital imaging in film affects the production of meaning; locates contemporary digital effects practice in relation to historical traditions of filmmaking and special effects practice; proposes a fresh, flexible approach to the close textual analysis of film that can take account of the digital; and, uses case studies from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "Avatar" to "Alice in Wonderland" and "King Kong" to demonstrate this approach in action.