Customer Reviews

Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth

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This surprisingly profound book provides significant insight into the history of silent film in the United States and how the primary building blocks of body, landscape and face came to be combined in film to put forth both conscious and subconscious ideals of American culture. The author uses excellent examples from U.S. film history and provides provocative food for thought throughout the book. The chapters are organized thematically very well and grant pleasure on first read, yet this book bears careful and repeated reading to glean maximum meaning. Anyone interested in how myth is promulgated through film and how the film medium as it developed in the United States was particularly suited to carry forth uniquely American ideals will find this book a good read. In addition, any reader who wants insight into how American visual culture came to dominate world media, for good or ill, will also gain value from this book.