It seems an impossible task to narrow such a broad topic to coverage of just 150 films, but in an informative introduction, authors Welsch and Adams successfully define this volume's scope and their criteria for inclusion.
Multiculturalism is defined in terms of race and ethnicity. The book is divided into sections covering films depicting African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, Latino/a Americans, and Native Americans. The last section lists "intercultural" films, in which characters or themes cross ethnic lines. Each section begins with an overview that discusses the history of the particular ethnic group in cinema. The alphabetically arranged film listings include director, casting, length, rating, and a one-line synopsis in addition to an analysis that is between 300 and 400 words in length. Films ranging from the highly controversial D. W. Griffith's 1915 silent epic, Birth of a Nation, to Michael Moore's 2002 Academy Award-winning documentary, Bowling for Columbine, are included, as are several of Ken Burns' documentaries and Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero, the 2002 film in which a variety of people express their religious beliefs in light of the events of 9/11. Most entries include a list of works cited. "Films by Theme," which follows the chapters, is perfect for the book's intended audience of educators and others who are looking for a film that explores a particular issue. The volume concludes with a list of film distributors and a selected bibliography that is organized in the same way as the main text.
A few entries could have included more information. The entry on the 2002 version of the 1971 Russian film Solaris makes no mention of it being a remake for U.S. audiences. The entry for Imitation of Life, a classic film about race, does not mention the 1934 version, which was a landmark for its time. Nevertheless, this well-written, -arranged, and -researched work is recommended for academic as well as large public and high-school libraries. Lisa Johnston
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Review
"An excellent feature of most of the critques is open-ended questions. These questions are designed to facilitate conversation or open lines of thought and will be exceptionally valuable for high school and college students seeking term paper topics. This book is therefore, particularly appropriate for high school and academic libraries as well as public libraries."
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Reference & User Services Quarterly
"Welsch and Adams (both Western Illinois U.) present educators, librarians, students, and other film viewers with brief synopses and critiques of 150-plus motion pictures addressing issues of race and ethnicity in the U.S."
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Reference & Research Book News/Art Book News Annual
"With multiculturalism being touched on in so many different classes, this guide to more than 150 films will be greatly appreciated by teachers. Arranged by race/ethnic group, the films are in sections representing African, Arab, Asian, European, Latino/a and Native Americans. Some films may represent more than one group….While securing films is always dependent upon budgets, a picture continues to be worth a thousand words and these help expand understanding of our diverse culture. They should be helpful in increasing student acceptance of differences. Highly recommended."
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Gale Reference for Students
"[T]his well-written, -arranged, and -researched work is recommended for academic as well as large public and high-school libraries."
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Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"Welsch and Adams accomplish what they set out to do: give teachers, students, librarians, and other interested moviegoers a well-selected group of films that deal in significant ways with themes of ethnicity, race, and intercultural interaction in the US. For each film, a plot synopsis is provided, along with comments about points in the narrative that raise interesting questions/issues for class discussion and general viewer analysis. A Works Cited feature at the end of each entry directs readers to further references….Recommended. Academic libraries serving lower-level undergraduates and above; public libraries."
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Choice
"[S]tands as a serious … survey of ethnicity in the cinema of [the United States]. It is a compact work, easily lending itself to use for quick reference, and gives some useful and up-to-date pointers for further study."
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Reference Reviews
