Annette Kuhn (1) (1945–)

excellent discussion of films up to the early 1990's

"From Library Journal
Scores of female writers and filmmakers contributed to this encyclopedic inves-tigation first published in 1990 in Britain. Evaluated are concepts (e.g., crossdressing, motherhood, postmodernism), genres, actresses, directors (women and men), national cinemas, studios, and much more. Demonstrating a clearly feminist perspective, the entries are stimulating yet never become arcane. The editors even have some fun by inserting trivia questions throughout the text. Kuhn and show more Radstone hope their efforts spur further works. One obvious choice for study would be silent film star Clara Bow, the "It Girl," who is ignored here in favor of her less popular but more politically correct contemporary, Louise Brooks. The index of the films mentioned in the text is helpful. Recommended for women's and film collections, where it complements Ally Acker's Reel Women: Pioneers of the Cinema, 1896 to the Present (LJ 4/15/91).
Kim Holston, American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, Malvern, Pa.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. "
www.amazon.com show less

"Review
"This important book is an introduction to feminist interventions and debates around film.... It will be a key text for anyone interested in feminist cultural politics, in feminism generally, and in film." - Terry Lovell, Feminist Review "A lucid examination of film theory and feminism ... Women's Pictures should be an indispensable resource." - Mary Desjardins, On Film

Product Description
This pioneering and influential work of feminist theory has been extensively updated by the show more author to chart the changes in feminist film theory and practice between the eighties and the nineties. Readers, whether engaged in the making of films, the study of them, or simply the pleasure of viewing them, will appreciate the way in which the author discusses and demystifies the current methods of analysis, including semiotic and psychoanalytical approaches. The films used as points of discussion are drawn from both mainstream and alternative cinema, institutions which are themselves examined in relation to their production, distribution and exhibition practices. The thesis proposed by Annette Kuhn is an exciting one: namely, that feminism and cinema, taken together, could provide the basis for new forms of expression, providing the opportunity for a truly feminist alternative cinema in terms of film language, of reading that language and of representing the world. "
www.amazon.com show less