Cinema Nation: The Best Writing on Film from The Nation. 1913-2000 (Nation Books) [Paperback]

Carl Bromley (Editor), Stuart Klawans (Introduction), Peter Biskind (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2000 | Series: Nation Books

From the Marx Brothers to Mickey Mouse, from Charlie Chaplin to Austin Powers, The Nation magazine's coverage of cinema has reflected the critical, dissenting spirit that has animated the 135-year old radical weekly but also the wonder that this new mass medium unleashed. A 1913 editorial opined, "Robert Burn's famous prayer has been answered. The gift has been given us too see ourselves as others see us". The Nation has been a magnet for the best, most provocative and contrary writing about cinema. In 1915 the magazine protested Birth of Nation's release and yet in the 1940s James Agee, the magazine's chief film critic, sung its praises and disputed that it was racist. Other contributors lamented the dubious moral effect cinema had on the masses while Sergei Eisenstein, in a 1927 article, celebrated the physiological and psychological impact of his film Battleship Potemkin. The magazine was there during the first furious labor struggles in Hollywood and was one of the few voices protesting the McCarthyite witch hunt in Hollywood. Throughout its coverage it has been concerned with questions of censorship and free speech as well as the monopolistic power of Hollywood, and its influence on the wider political discourse. Contributors include: Sergei Eisenstein, James Agee, Manny Farber, Katha Politt, Dalton Trumbo, Richard Condon, Terry Southern, Robert Sklar, Susan Sontag, Diana DiPrima, Edward Said, Peter Biskind, Arthur Miller, Marcel Ophuls, Ring Lardner, Jules Feiffer, and Terrence Rafferty.

Product Details

• Paperback: 508 pages
• Publisher: Nation Books (October 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560252863
• ISBN-13: 978-1560252863
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,471,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An alternate history of Hollywood, August 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cinema Nation: The Best Writing on Film from The Nation. 1913-2000 (Nation Books) (Paperback)

Like I said in my review of The Best Of The Nation, I'm not your typical Nation reader. I'm fiscally a right winger, and I share right wing views on many social issues as well. But censorship is not one of them. Needless to say, I don't care if they're right wing censors or left wing censors, this is an issue that I feel strongly about. It was very intesting to read this book since it gave light to many of the issues of the day involving film and film censorship. As the editor called it a "You are there" look from 1913 to the present. Not only that, but reviews for film classics written as they came out can be both hilarious and insightful. You might not agree with the reviewer's outlook on the film, but you can't help but be entertained by it. The only reson I didn't give this book a five stars was too much emphasis on Union activites in Hollywood. I would agree that the strikes and what not are of major importance to a leftist magazine like The Nation, but I'm the outsider here, so it's probably more a problem with me. (I can't say I'm too pro-union, at least not in the 21st Century). No matter what your outlook on politics, movies or religion, this is definitely an interesting book to have if you're a film buff, or you're intresting in the history of motion pictures in the USA. You might not always agree with what the writer says, but it's written well enough that it is not an issue.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful collection of the best writing on film, March 5, 2001

By 

Robert (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cinema Nation: The Best Writing on Film from The Nation. 1913-2000 (Nation Books) (Paperback)

Mr. Bromley and his colleagues have done a beautiful job of collecting what is certainly the best examples of film review and comment of the 20th Century. With The Nation's unique and insightful bent towards all that's good in the world, the book reads with a consistency and fluidity unmatched in other collections. I highly recommend this book for movie fans!