Synopses & Reviews
What connects films of a particular nation, in a particular time? What makes them especially interesting and revealing? This book offers an original answer to these central questions for world cinema, focusing on the case of Brazil and the return of the utopian gesture into its cinema. In this extensively illustrated book, Lúcia Nagib argues that the foundational utopian imaginary that has permeated culture in Brazil since the time of the first discoverers has had a decisive influence on its film aesthetics, especially at creative peaks, such as the Cinema Novo movement of the 1960s and early '70s, and the cinematic revival from the mid 1990s onwards. She shows how utopian motifs like images of the sea or the classical Greek myth of Orpheus establish a bridge between these two periods, guaranteeing thereby historical continuity from a cinema concerned with the national project to another engaged in a globalised dialogue. In focus are classics of Cinema Novo, such as 'Black God, White Devil', 'Land in Anguish' and 'How Tasty was my Little Frenchman', alongside representatives of a more recent transnational aesthetics, including the anti-utopian 'City of God'and the urban dystopia of 'The Trespasser'.
Synopsis
Two periods of Brazilian film history are particularly notable for their artistic momentum: the Cinema Novo movement of the 1960s and early '70s, and the film revival from the mid 1990s onwards. What makes them especially strong, this book argues, is their utopian impulse. By adopting Utopia as a theme, as well as a method of film analysis, Lucia Nagib unveils, organises and interprets a fascinating wealth of recurrent images, which are a bridge between a cinema strongly concerned with the national project and another informed by global culture. Outstanding recent films, such as Central Station, Perfumed Ball, Hans Staden, Orfeu, City of God and The Trespasser, are illuminated by Nagib's sharp analysis, which detects utopian, anti-utopian and even dystopian impulses in them. They are at once representatives of a political arena in constant struggle against underdevelopment and legitimate (as well as critical) heirs of past cinematic traditions.
Throwing new light on a large selection of Cinema Novo and contemporary films, this book thus presents a national cinema that rejects the end of history and of film history, while benefiting from, and contributing to, a new transnational aesthetics.
Synopsis
Best known to international audiences for its carnivalesque irreverence and recent gangster blockbusters, Brazilian cinema is gaining prominence with critics, at global film festivals, and on DVD shelves. This volume seeks to introduce newcomers to Brazilian cinema and to offer valuable insights to those already well-versed in the topic. It brings into sharp focus some of the most important movements, genres, and themes from across the eras of Brazilian cinema, from cinema novo to musical chanchada, the road movie to cinema de bordas, avant-garde to pornochanchada. Delving deep beyond the surface of cinema, the volume also addresses key themes such as gender, indigenous and diasporic communities, and Afro-Brazilian identity. Situating Brazilian cinema within the country's changing position in the global capitalist system, the essays consider uneven modernization, class division, dictatorship, liberation struggles, and globalization alongside questions of entertainment and of artistic innovation.
About the Author
Lúcia Nagib is Centenary Professor of World Cinema at the University of Leeds. Her books include (as editor) 'The New Brazilian Cinema' (I.B. Tauris 2004, reprinted 2006) and she is Series Editor of Tauris World Cinema Series.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction by the Editors
Film of the Year
5 x Favela, Now By Ourselves
Star Study
Carmen Miranda
Film-makers
Glabuer Rocha
Josand#233; Mojica Marins
Walter Salles
Cultural Crossover
Cinema de Bordas in Brazil
The Re-emergence of Brazilian Cinema: A Brief History
Festival Focus
Film Festivals in Brazil
Early Years
Essay
Review
Cinema Novo
Essay
Review
Gender
Essay
Review
Music
Essay
Review
Afro-Brazilian Identity
Essay
Review
The Representation of the Brazilian Indian
Essay
Review
Diaspora
Essay
Review
Documentary
Essay
Review
Adaptation
Essay
Review
Comedy
Essay
Review
Road Movie
Essay
Review
Recommended Reading
Brazilian Cinema Online
Test Your Knowledge
Notes on Contributors
Filmography