Description
Book SynopsisThe sports film has become one of commercial cinema's most recognizable genres. From classic boxing films such as Raging Bull (1980) to soccer-themed box-office successes like Bend it Like Beckham (2002), the sports film stands at the interface of two of our most important cultural forms. This book examines the social, historical and ideological significance of representations of sport in film internationally, an essential guide for all students and enthusiasts of sport, film, media and culture.
Sport and Film traces the history of the sports film, from the beginnings of cinema in the 1890s, its consolidation as a distinct fiction genre in the mid 1920s in Hollywood films such as Harold Lloydâs The Freshman (1925), to its contemporary manifestation in Oscar-winning films such as Million Dollar Baby (2004) and The Fighter (2010). Drawing on an extensive range of films as source material, the book explores key issues in the study of sp
Trade Review
"Sport and Film is an important addition to the literature which, though not primarily historical in orientation, will be of considerable interest to sports historians." – Marcus Free, The International Journal of the History of Sport, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Ireland
"Seán Crosson can be deservedly said to have moved the ‘frontiers of sport’ and should inspire students to engage with both sport in film and film in sport." – John Bale, Sport in History, Keele University, UK
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Why Sport and Film? Chapter 1: Reading the Sports Film Chapter 2: Early Cinema and the Emergence of the Sports Film Chapter 3: The Sports Film Genre Chapter 4: ‘Truths that tell a lie’: Race, Social Class and the American Dream in the Sports Film Chapter 5: Gender and the Sports Film Chapter 6: The Sports Film, National Culture and Identity Conclusion: 9/11 and the Contemporary Mainstream Sports Film
