Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility

John Mercer, Shingler Martin

    Research output: Book/ReportBookpeer-review

    Abstract

    The book identifies three distinct but connected concepts through which it is possible to make sense of melodrama; either as a genre, originating in European theatre of the 18th and 19th century, as a specific cinematic style, epitomised by the work of Douglas Sirk or as a sensibility that emerges in the context of specific texts, speaking to and reflecting the desires, concerns and anxieties of audiences. Films discussed include All That Heaven Allows, Safe, Fear Eats the Soul, Black Narcissus, Suddenly Last Summer and Rebel Without a Cause. Each chapter includes overviews of key essays, analyses of significant and widely studied films and includes an annotated reading list.
    Original languageEnglish
    Place of PublicationLondon
    PublisherColumbia University Press
    Number of pages144
    ISBN (Print)9781904764021
    Publication statusPublished (VoR) - 1 Jan 2005

    Keywords

    • Film and cultural studies
    • melodrama
    • gender
    • sexuality

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