The History of American Literature on Film

Description

From William Dickson’s Rip Van Winkle films (1896) to Baz Luhrmann’s big-budget production of The Great Gatsby(2013) and beyond, cinematic adaptations of American literature participate in a rich and fascinating history. Unlike previous studies of American literature and film, which emphasize particular authors like Edith Wharton and Nathaniel Hawthorne, particular texts like Moby-Dick, particular literary periods like the American Renaissance, or particular genres like the novel, this volume considers the multiple functions of filmed American literature as a cinematic genre in its own right—one that reflects the specific political and aesthetic priorities of different national and historical cinemas even as it plays a decisive role in defining American literature for a global audience. Cover Contents List of Figures Acknowledgments 1 Introduction: American Cinema and American Literatures 2 1895–1915: The Attraction of Adaptation 3 1915–27: American Exotics 4 1927–39: Novel Impressions 5 1939–51: Invisible Adaptation 6 1951–67: Weaponized Best Sellers 7 1967–75: Counterculture Classics 8 1975–89: Screening the Silenced 9 1989–2007: Adapt or Die 10 2007–18: Entertainment for Me Bibliography Index