Fields Of Vision: Essays In Film Studies, Visual Anthropology, And Photography Essays In Film Studies, Visual Anthropology, And Photography

Filmed images dominate our time, from the movies and TV that entertain us to the news and documentary that inform us and shape our cultural vocabulary. Crossing disciplinary boundaries, Fields of Vision is a path-breaking collection that inquires into the power (and limits) of film and photography to make sense of ourselves and others. As critics, social scientists, filmmakers, and literary scholars, the contributors converge on the issues of representation and the construction of visual meaning across cultures. From the dismembered bodies of horror film to the exotic bodies of ethnographic film and the gorgeous bodies of romantic cinema, Fields of Vision moves through eras, genres, and societies. Always asking how images work to produce meaning, the essays address the way the "real" on film creates fantasy, news, as well as "science," and considers this problematic process as cultural boundaries are crossed. One essay discusses the effects of Hollywood's high-capital, world-wide commercial hegemony on local and non-Western cinemas, while another explores the response of indigenous people in central Australia to the forces of mass media and video. Other essays uncover the work of the unconscious in cinema, the shaping of "female spectatorship" by the "women's film" genre of the 1920s, and the effects of the personal and subjective in documentary films and the photographs of war reportage. In illuminating dark, elided, or wilfully neglected areas of representation, these essays uncover new fields of vision. Filmed Images Dominate Our Time, From The Movies And Tv That Entertain Us To The News And Documentary That Inform Us And Shape Our Cultural Vocabulary. Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries, Fields Of Vision Is A Path-breaking Collection That Inquires Into The Power (and Limits) Of Film And Photography To Make Sense Of Ourselves And Others. As Critics, Social Scientists, Filmmakers, And Literary Scholars, The Contributors Converge On The Issues Of Representation And The Construction Of Visual Meaning Across Cultures. From The Dismembered Bodies Of Horror Film To The Exotic Bodies Of Ethnographic Film And The Gorgeous Bodies Of Romantic Cinema, Fields Of Vision Moves Through Eras, Genres, And Societies. Always Asking How Images Work To Produce Meaning, The Essays Address The Way The Real On Film Creates Fantasy, News, As Well As Science, And Considers This Problematic Process As Cultural Boundaries Are Crossed. One Essay Discusses The Effects Of Hollywood's High-capital, World-wide Commercial Hegemony On Local And Non-western Cinemas, While Another Explores The Response Of Indigenous People In Central Australia To The Forces Of Mass Media And Video. Other Essays Uncover The Work Of The Unconscious In Cinema, The Shaping Of Female Spectatorship By The Women's Film Genre Of The 1920s, And The Effects Of The Personal And Subjective In Documentary Films And The Photographs Of War Reportage. -- Back Cover. The National / Paul Willemen -- The Modernist Sensibility In Recent Ethnographic Writing And The Cinematic Metaphor Of Montage / George E. Marcus -- Experience, Re-presentation, And Film / Leslie Deveraux -- Photography And Film / Anne-marie Willis -- Modernism And The Photographic Representation Of War And Destruction / Bernd Hüppauf -- Horror And The Carnivalesque / Barbara Creed -- Barrymore, The Body, And Bliss / Gaylyn Studlar -- Narrative, Sound, And Film / Roger Hillman -- Novel Into Film / Gino Moliterno -- The Subjective Voice In Ethnographic Film / David Macdougall -- Mediating Culture / Faye Ginsburg -- The Pressure Of The Unconscious Upon The Image / Susan Dermody -- Robert Gardner's Rivers Of Sand / Peter Loizos -- Cultures, Disciplines, Cinemas / Leslie Devereaux. Edited By Leslie Devereaux And Roger Hillman. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

Filmed images dominate our time, from the movies and TV that entertain us to the news and documentary that inform us and shape our cultural vocabulary. Crossing disciplinary boundaries, Fields of Vision is a path-breaking collection that inquires into the power (and limits) of film and photography to make sense of ourselves and others. As critics, social scientists, filmmakers, and literary scholars, the contributors converge on the issues of representation and the construction of visual meaning across cultures.
From the dismembered bodies of horror film to the exotic bodies of ethnographic film and the gorgeous bodies of romantic cinema, Fields of Vision moves through eras, genres, and societies. Always asking how images work to produce meaning, the essays address the way the "real" on film creates fantasy, news, as well as "science," and considers this problematic process as cultural boundaries are crossed. One essay discusses the effects of Hollywood's high-capital, world-wide commercial hegemony on local and non-Western cinemas, while another explores the response of indigenous people in central Australia to the forces of mass media and video. Other essays uncover the work of the unconscious in cinema, the shaping of "female spectatorship" by the "women's film" genre of the 1920s, and the effects of the personal and subjective in documentary films and the photographs of war reportage.

In illuminating dark, elided, or wilfully neglected areas of representation, these essays uncover new fields of vision.

Frontmatter LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (page xi) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (page xiii) 1: An Introductory Essay (Leslie Devereaux, page 1) THEMES 2: The National (Paul Willemen, page 21) 3: The Modernist Sensibility in Recent Ethnographic Writing and the Cinematic Metaphor of Montage (George E. Marcus, page 35) 4: Experience, Re-presentation, and Film (Leslie Devereaux, page 56) CASE STUDIES: PHOTOGRAPHY 5: Photography and Film: Figures in/of History (Anne-Marie Willis, page 77) 6: Modernism and the Photographic Representations (Bernd Hüppauf, page 94) CASE STUDIES: FILM 7: Horror and the Carnivalesque: The Body-monstrous (Barbara Creed, page 127) 8: Barrymore, the Body, and Bliss: Issues of Male Representation and Female Spectatorship in the 1920s (Gaylyn Studlar, page 160) 9: Narrative, Sound, and Film: Fassbinder's The Marriage of Maria Braun (Roger Hillman, page 181) 10: Novel into Film: The Name of the Rose (Gino Moliterno, page 196) THE SUBJECT(IVE) VOICE 11: The Subjective Voice in Ethnographic Film (David MacDougall, page 217) 12: Mediating Culture: Indigenous Media, Ethnographic Film, and the Production of Identity (Faye Ginsburg, page 256) 13: The Pressure of the Unconscious upon the Image: The Subjective Voice in Documentary (Susan Dermody, page 292) 14: Robert Gardner's Rivers of Sand: Toward a Reappraisal (Peter Loizos, page 311) A LAST WORD 15: Cultures, Disciplines, Cinemas (Leslie Devereaux, page 329) CONTRIBUTORS (page 341) INDEX (page 345)