The Epic Film in World Culture (AFI Film Readers)

With the recent release of spectacular blockbuster films from Gladiator to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the epic has once again become a major form in contemporary cinema. This new volume in the AFI Film Readers series explores the rebirth of the epic film genre in the contemporary period, a period marked by heightened and conflicting appeals to national, ethnic, and religious belonging.The orginal essays in this volume explore the tension between the evolving global context of film production and reception and the particular provenance of the epic as an expression of national mythology and aspirations, challenging our understanding of epics produced in the present as well as our perception of epic films from the past. The contributors will explore new critical approaches to contemporary as well as older epic films, drawing on ideas from cultural studies, historiography, classics, and film studies. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 contents......Page 8 illustrations......Page 10 acknowledgments......Page 12 introduction......Page 14 part one: spectacle......Page 30 one: “this is sparta!”: the reinvention of epic in zack snyder’s 300......Page 32 two: “philip never saw babylon”: 360-degree vision and the historical epic in the digital era......Page 52 three: heroic chivalry, heroic sacrifice: “martial arthouse” as epic cinema......Page 76 four: bare life and sovereignty in gladiator......Page 95 part two: center and periphery......Page 112 five: “rise of the rest”: globalizing epic cinema......Page 114 six: sign of the times: the semiotics of time and event in sirk’s sign of the pagan......Page 137 seven: the fall of the roman empire: on space and allegory......Page 157 eight: “an italianmade spectacle film dubbed in english”: cultural distinctions, national cinema, and the critical reception of the postwar historical epic......Page 174 nine: red cliff: the chinese-language epic and diasporic chinese spectators......Page 189 part three: remembering the nation......Page 218 ten: passing through nightmares: cecil b. demille’s the plainsman and epic discourse in new deal america......Page 220 eleven: epos indigenized: the new zealand wars films from rudall hayward to vincent ward......Page 248 part four: the family epic......Page 274 twelve: epic melodrama, or cine-maps of the global south......Page 276 thirteen: “black blood”: there will be blood......Page 309 part five: the body in the epic......Page 326 fourteen: the monstrous epic: deciphering mel gibson’s: the passion of the christ......Page 328 fifteen: diegetic masculinities: reading the black body in epic cinema......Page 359 contributors......Page 388 filmography......Page 392 index......Page 399 Spectacle. 'this Is Sparta!' : The Reinvention Of The Epic In Zach Snyder's 300 / Monica Silveira Cyrino -- 'philip Never Saw Babylon': 360 Degree Vision And The Historical Epic In The Digital Era / Kirsten Moana Thompson -- Heroic Chivalry, Heroic Sacrifice: 'martial Arthouse' As Epic Cinema / Leon Hunt -- -- Bare Life And Sovereignty In Gladiator / Robert Burgoyne -- Center And Periphery. Rise Of The Rest : Globalizing Epic Cinema / Dina Iordanova -- Signs Of The Times: The Semiotics Of Time And Event In Sirk's Sign Of The Pagan / Bettina Bildhauer -- The Fall Of The Roman Empire: On Space And Allegory / Tom Conley -- An Italianmade Spectacle Film Dubbed In English: Cultural Distinctions, National Cinema And The Critical Reception Of The Postwar Historical Epic / Mark Jancovich -- Red Cliff: The Chinese-language Epic And Diasporic Chinese Spectators / Ruby Cheung -- Remembering The Nation. Passing Through Nightmares: Cecil B. Demille's The Plainsman And The Epic Discourse In New Deal America / Philip Wagner -- Epos Indigenized: The New Zealand Wars Film From Rudall Hayward To Vincent Ward / Bruce Babington -- The Family Epic. Epic Melodrama, Or Cine-maps Of The Global South / Bhaskar Sarkar -- Black Blood: There Will Be Blood / Anne Gselvik -- The Body In The Epic. The Monstrous Epic: Deciphering Mel Gibson's The Passion Of The Christ / Alison Griffiths -- Diegetic Masculinities: Reading The Black Body In Epic Cinema / Saër Maty Ba. Edited By Robert Burgoyne. Includes Bibliographical References, Filmography And Index.