Firestorm

American Film in the Age of Terrorism

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Film, History & Criticism, Performing Arts
Cover of the book Firestorm by Stephen Prince, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Stephen Prince ISBN: 9780231520089
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: August 6, 2009
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Stephen Prince
ISBN: 9780231520089
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: August 6, 2009
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

It was believed that September 11th would make certain kinds of films obsolete, such as action thrillers crackling with explosions or high-casualty blockbusters where the hero escapes unscathed. While the production of these films did ebb, the full impact of the attacks on Hollywood's creative output is still taking shape. Did 9/11 force filmmakers and screenwriters to find new methods of storytelling? What kinds of movies have been made in response to 9/11, and are they factual? Is it even possible to practice poetic license with such a devastating, broadly felt tragedy?

Stephen Prince is the first scholar to trace the effect of 9/11 on the making of American film. From documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) to zombie flicks, and from fictional narratives such as The Kingdom (2007) to Mike Nichols's Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Prince evaluates the extent to which filmmakers have exploited, explained, understood, or interpreted the attacks and the Iraq War that followed, including incidents at Abu Ghraib. He begins with pre-9/11 depictions of terrorism, such as Alfred Hitchcock's Sabotage (1936), and follows with studio and independent films that directly respond to 9/11. He considers documentary portraits and conspiracy films, as well as serial television shows (most notably Fox's 24) and made-for-TV movies that re-present the attacks in a broader, more intimate way. Ultimately Prince finds that in these triumphs and failures an exciting new era of American filmmaking has taken shape.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

It was believed that September 11th would make certain kinds of films obsolete, such as action thrillers crackling with explosions or high-casualty blockbusters where the hero escapes unscathed. While the production of these films did ebb, the full impact of the attacks on Hollywood's creative output is still taking shape. Did 9/11 force filmmakers and screenwriters to find new methods of storytelling? What kinds of movies have been made in response to 9/11, and are they factual? Is it even possible to practice poetic license with such a devastating, broadly felt tragedy?

Stephen Prince is the first scholar to trace the effect of 9/11 on the making of American film. From documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) to zombie flicks, and from fictional narratives such as The Kingdom (2007) to Mike Nichols's Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Prince evaluates the extent to which filmmakers have exploited, explained, understood, or interpreted the attacks and the Iraq War that followed, including incidents at Abu Ghraib. He begins with pre-9/11 depictions of terrorism, such as Alfred Hitchcock's Sabotage (1936), and follows with studio and independent films that directly respond to 9/11. He considers documentary portraits and conspiracy films, as well as serial television shows (most notably Fox's 24) and made-for-TV movies that re-present the attacks in a broader, more intimate way. Ultimately Prince finds that in these triumphs and failures an exciting new era of American filmmaking has taken shape.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book The Welfare State Revisited by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book Journalistic Authority by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book Buying Military Transformation by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book Slow Food by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book The Politics of Being by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book Coming Out, Coming Home by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book Neo-Noir by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book Mind in the Balance by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book The Inquisition of Climate Science by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book The Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, 1916–2016 by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book Change Research by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book Conflict, Conquest, and Conversion by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book Kicking the Carbon Habit by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book The Breaking Jewel by Stephen Prince
Cover of the book In Defense of Religious Moderation by Stephen Prince
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy