Description
Book SynopsisArgues that it was the human form in motion that most profoundly shaped early cinema. Situating his discussion in a political and historical context, the author begins his analysis with films that reveal striking anxieties and preoccupations about persons on public display. It also considers twentieth-century American incarnation of cinema itself.
Trade Review"It is essential reading and serve to remind us of the richness of this period of cinema production for film scholarship." -- Anna Dzenis Screening The Past "Brings a refreshing perspective to the study of early cinema." -- Abigail Salerno American Literature "Carefully locating his work in relation to scholarship that has characterized the period as 'cinema of attractions,' Auerbach provides a supplement to, rather than a repudiation of, this important scholarship." -- Steve J. Wurtzler Journal Of American History "Delightful ... Perhaps most refreshing in Auerbach's writing is his healthy appetite for the action, and the people acting." Year's Work In Critical And Cultural Theory "Clever, erudite, illuminating, and maddening." American Studies Journal
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: Body, Movement, Space PART I. BODIES IN PUBLIC 1. Looking In: McKinley at Home 2. Looking Out: Visualizing Self-Consciousness Interlude. The Vocal Gesture: Sounding the Origins of Cinema PART II. BODIES IN SPACE 3. Chasing Film Narrative 4. Windows 1900; or, Life of an American Fireman Conclusion: The Stilled Body Notes Bibliography Index
