Description
Book SynopsisThomas M. Puhr identifies and analyzes the ways that cinema has dealt with the tension between fate and free will. He examines films that express deterministic ideas, including circular narratives of stasis or confinement and fatalistic portraits of external forces dictating characters’ lives.
Trade ReviewIn this wholly singular work, Puhr takes a refreshingly innovative and engaging approach to the surprisingly layered concept of determinism in film. Part film studies, part philosophy,
Fate in Film is full of gratifying "ah-ha" moments and gasp-worthy "catches." With its conversational tone, limited jargon, and exciting re-readings of recent and classic films, the book reads like a lecture from a favorite professor -- Erica Dymond, East Stroudsburg University
[This book] rewards its readers with new perspectives on familiar cinematic texts and thought provoking intertextuality. * Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction: “You’ve Always Been the Caretaker”
Part I. Mysterious Appearances: The Illusion of Agency in Identity Formation1. Jonathan Glazer’s Identity Trilogy
2. The Greek Influence
Part II. Family Swallows Everything: You Are What Preceded You3. On Display
4. A New Family Emerges
Part III. False Freedom in Society: Breaking the Cycle Only Reinforces It5. Fate Remade
6. Goodbye to Symbols
Conclusion: Beyond the Screen
Notes
Bibliography
Index
