| Cinema, Slavery, and Brazilian Nationalism Contributor(s): Gordon, Richard A. (Author) |
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ISBN: 147730987X ISBN-13: 9781477309872 Publisher: University of Texas Press OUR PRICE: $26.68 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: January 2015 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Performing Arts | Film - History & Criticism - History | Latin America - South America |
| Dewey: 791.430 |
| Series: Cognitive Approaches to Literature and Culture |
| Physical Information: 0.65" H x 6" W x 9" (0.94 lbs) 286 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Latin America |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: A unique contribution to film studies, Richard Gordon's Cinema, Slavery, and Brazilian Nationalism is the first full-length book on Brazilian films about slavery. By studying Brazilian films released between 1976 and 2005, Gordon examines how the films both define the national community and influence viewer understandings of Brazilianness. Though the films he examines span decades, they all communicate their revised version of Brazilian national identity through a cinematic strategy with a dual aim: to upset ingrained ways of thinking about Brazil and to persuade those who watch the films to accept a new way of understanding their national community. By examining patterns in this heterogeneous group of films, Gordon proposes a new way of delineating how these films attempt to communicate with and change the minds of audience members. Gordon outlines five key aspects that each film incorporates, which describe their shared formula for and role in constructing social identity. These elements include the ways in which the films attempt to create links between the past and the viewers' present and their methods of encouraging viewers to identify with their protagonists, who are often cast as a prototype for the nation. By aligning themselves with this figure, viewers arrive at a definition of their national identity that, while Afrocentric, also promotes racial and ethnic inclusiveness. Gordon's innovative analysis transcends the context of his work, and his conclusions can be applied to questions of national identity and film across cultures. |
Contributor Bio(s): Gordon, Richard A.: - RICHARD A. GORDON is Professor of Brazilian Studies and Spanish-American Literature and Culture and Director of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute at the University of Georgia in Athens. He is the author Cannibalizing the Colony: Cinematic Adaptations of Colonial Literature in Mexico and Brazil. |
