Screening Neoliberalism: Transforming Mexican Cinema, 1988-2012

by Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado

Cavernous, often cold, always dark, with the lingering smell of popcorn in the the experience of movie-going is universal. The cinematic experience in Mexico is no less profound, and has evolved in complex ways in recent years. Films like Y Tu Mama Tambien, El Mariachi, Amores Perros, and the work of icons like Guillermo del Toro and Salma Hayek represent much more than resurgent interest in the cinema of Mexico. In Screening Neoliberalism, Ignacio Sanchez Prado explores precisely what happened to Mexico's film industry in recent decades. Far from just a history of the period, Screening Neoliberalism explores four deep transformations in the Mexican film the decline of nationalism, the new focus on middle-class audiences, the redefinition of political cinema, and the impact of globalization. This analysis considers the directors and films that have found international notoriety as well as those that have been instrumental in building a domestic market. Screening Neoliberalism exposes the consequences of a film industry forced to find new audiences in Mexico's middle-class in order to achieve economic and cultural viability.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2014

Reviews

[Thomas P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book about Mexican cinema and its evolvement during the last thirty or so years. The author goes into great detail breaking down many good Mexican films for sure, even though some of the works examined, do not hold up very well today as quality movies.....3 1/2 stars of 5.