The Direct Cinema of David and Albert Maysles

Author:   Jonathan B. Vogels
Publisher:   Southern Illinois University Press
ISBN:  

9780809326433


Pages:   272
Publication Date:   30 June 2005
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   Awaiting stock   Availability explained
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The Direct Cinema of David and Albert Maysles


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Overview

"Boldly signifying the cultural issues of the 1960s and 1970s in groundbreaking pieces such as Gimme Shelter, Showman, and Grey Gardens, filmmakers and brothers David and Albert Maysles utilized an approach to documentary film that involved spontaneous observation of naturally occurring events. With no rehearsed footage and no preconceived plots, their revolutionary work eschewed the authoritative voice-over narrator, didactic scripts, and traditional problem-and-solution format used by the majority of their predecessors in the genre and duly influenced subsequent directors in both fiction and nonfiction film. Their collaboration from 1962 until David's death in 1987 wrought thirteen major works in which the brothers critiqued the concept of celebrity with unglamorous footage of iconic figures, explored how commercialism hinders communication, and questioned the possibility of seeing anything clearly in a world abounding with both real and constructed images. The Maysles brothers' particular style, which they called """"direct cinema,"""" helped usher in a new, more probing and realistic form of documentary. They are mentioned in many historical surveys of documentary film, but The Direct Cinema of David and Albert Maysles is the first full-length treatment of their career. Despite the legacy the brothers left for filmmakers of all genres, film scholars and historians have generally considered the films monolithically and failed to look at the subtle shifts in their approaches over time. Jonathan B. Vogels remedies that oversight with this critical assessment of the complete Maysles catalog. Looking at the films as both shapers and reflections of American culture, Vogels points out that the works offer insights into a wide range of contemporary topics including materialism, celebrity, modern art, and the American family."

Full Product Details

Author:   Jonathan B. Vogels
Publisher:   Southern Illinois University Press
Imprint:   Southern Illinois University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.20cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.494kg
ISBN:  

9780809326433


ISBN 10:   0809326434
Pages:   272
Publication Date:   30 June 2005
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Awaiting stock   Availability explained
The supplier is currently out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out for you.

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Jonathan B. Vogels has developed, organized, and promoted three festivals featuring the works of contemporary documentary filmmakers. A scholar of film studies and American cultural history, he received his Ph.D. in American studies from Boston University.

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