FANTASY CINEMA

Often dismissed as simple escapist tales of sword and sorcery or fairy stories from childhood, fantasy is one of the fundamental impulses in filmmaking, a source of some of the most vivid and memorable films ever made that reaches far beyond the confines of a single genre. As well as some of the major genres, stylistic approaches and exponents of cinematic fantasy - from Georges Méliès, Walt Disney and Andrei Tarkovsky to contemporary fantasists such as Terry Gilliam and Peter Jackson - this volume focuses on fantasy's social function with case studies including The Thief of Bagdad (1924), Excalibur (1981), the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03) and Bruce Almighty (2003). Taking in the popular and experimental, subversive desires and reactionary dreams, this book is an accessible introduction to one of the vital energies in cinema. 

Volume 44

October 2009
144 pages

978-1-906660-16-1 (pbk)

£12.99

£9.09 with 30% Off - Spring Sale discount add to basket

David Butler is Lecturer in Screen Studies at the University of Manchester.

'With keen insight and theoretical sophistication, this study examines the social functions and significance of a film genre too often dismissed as merely escapist. Addressing the stylistic, cultural and political dimensions of fantasy film, this introduction's multifaceted approach provides a model for future scholars and students of this important film genre.'
– Joshua David Bellin, La Roche College