Publication date:
22 November 2017Length of book:
194 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksDimensions:
238x159mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9781498557481
Although films affect and reflect the way Americans look at politics, they have received far less attention than television or newspapers. This is changing, particularly on college campuses, where courses on politics and film are growing in popularity. This book consists of short essays on approximately fifty American political films. It is distinctive in two ways. Firstly, it defines politics broadly enough to include a range of films, not only on obviously political topics such as the presidency, congress, and elections, but also on the media, law and courts, war and peace, and a variety of policy issues. Secondly, it goes beyond plot and dialogue to discuss the language of film, including visual aspects, sound, mise-en-scène, and other ways that films communicate their messages to audiences. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction to the films included. The essays also explain the political context of each film and, when films are based on historical events, discuss the accuracy of their depictions. References to additional sources are included at the end of each essay. This book explores the extent to which films take on the political issues of the day and their influence on public perceptions of politics. Do films support the status quo or do they challenge it?
Though not a textbook per se, Seeing through the Screen was written for the college and university classroom. Altschuler (emer., political science, SUNY, Oswego) examines films by subject, devoting chapters to political campaigns, the presidency, Congress, laws and courts, the media, war and peace, domestic issues, and state and local politics. In each chapter, he analyzes five or six seminal films that address the particular subject. Each analysis includes a brief introduction, a summary of the film’s content, and pivotal questions to ask after screening the movie. These open-ended questions are not answered but instead left to viewers or the classroom. . . this is material ready-made for the undergraduate classroom. The author does begin each chapter with valuable guidance on the depiction of the subject over time. One strength of the volume is the chronological breadth of its coverage of American screen history. Not much is written for the undergraduate classroom other than textbooks, so this book is valuable for filling a niche, particularly in political science courses.
Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; faculty; general readers.
Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; faculty; general readers.