Screening Violence

Rutgers Depth of Field Series

by Stephen Prince (Editor)

Graphic cinematic violence is a magnet for controversy.  From passionate defenses to outraged protests, theories abound concerning this defining feature of modern Is it art or exploitation, dangerous or liberating? 
Screening Violence   provides an even-handed examination of the history, merits, and effects of cinematic “ultraviolence.”  Movie reviewers, cinematographers, film scholars, psychologists, and sociologists all contribute essays exploring topics such · the origins and innovations of film violence and attempts to regulate it (from Hollywood’s Production Code to the evolution of the ratings system) · the explosion of screen violence following the 1967 releases of Bonnie and Clyde   and The Dirty Dozen, and the lasting effects of those landmark films · the aesthetics of increasingly graphic screen violence · the implications of our growing desensitization to murder and  mayhem, from The Wild Bunch   to The Terminator

Genres: Film

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2000

About the author

Stephen Prince teaches film history, criticism, and theory at Virginia Tech’s School of Performing Arts . He received his Ph.D from the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. The first chapters, where the author deals with censorship in the movies was fascinating. This book focuses more on the film industry, rather than any real specific films... but it is a great introduction.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read (what I considered to be) the useful parts eight months ago, finishing the dregs has left me somewhat indifferent to the book as a whole.