Description
Book SynopsisLooks at the haunting, melancholy horror films Val Lewton made between 1942 and 1946 and finds them to be powerful commentaries on the American home front during WWII. This study demonstrates the film-maker's interest in those who found themselves alienated by wartime society and illuminates the dark side of the American psyche in the 1940s.
Trade Review"This is cultural history at its best. The author's vivid engagement with his material reveals Val Lewton in a bracing new light. Nemerov teases out relationships between film and society with supple writing, imagination, and skill. A critical tour de force." - David M. Lubin, author of Shooting Kennedy "Icons of Grief is a brilliantly conceived and successfully executed filmmaker study. Nemerov's research is dazzling, as are his highly sophisticated analyses. At every turn, he reveals his deep understanding of cinema. This is an exquisitely crafted book." - Scott Bukatman, author of Terminal Identity"
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Fragments of the Home Front 1. The Madonna of the Backyard: Simone Simon and Ann Carter in The Curse of the Cat People 2. The Power of the Minor Actor: Skelton Knaggs in The Ghost Ship 3. Stillness and Recollection: Darby Jones in I Walked with a Zombie 4. This Pretty World: Glenn Vernon in Bedlam Notes Selected Bibliography Index
