Empires of the Imagination: A Critical Survey of Fantasy Cinema from Georges M‚liŠs to the Lord of the Rings

by Worley, Alec

• ISBN13: 9780786423248
• ISBN10: 0786423242
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-10-31
• Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc Pub

Summary

The warlocks and ghosts of fantasy film haunt our popular culture, but the genre has too long been ignored by critics. This comprehensive critical survey of fantasy cinema demonstrates that the fantasy genre amounts to more than escapism. Through a meticulously researched analysis of over a century of fantasy pictures--from the seminal work of Georges Melies to Peter Jackson's recent tours of Middle-earth--the work identifies narrative strategies and their recurring components and studies patterns of challenge and return, setting and character. First addressing the difficult task of defining the genre, the work examines fantasy as a cultural force in both film and literature and explores its relation to science fiction, horror, and fairy tales. Fantasy's development is traced from the first days of film, with emphasis on how the evolving genre reflected such events as economic depression and war. Also considered is fantasy's expression of politics, as either the subject of satire or fuel for the fires of propaganda. Discussion ventures into the subgenres, from stories of invented lands inhabited by fantastic creatures to magical adventures set in the familiar world, and addresses clashes between fantasy and faith, such as the religious opposition to the Harry Potter phenomenon. From the money-making classics to little-known arthouse films, this richly illustrated work covers every aspect of fantasy film.

Author Biography

Freelance writer Alec Worley lives in London, England and writes regularly for cinema magazines in the UK.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	viii
Foreword	1	(2)
Brian Sibley
Preface	3	(4)
Locating Fantasy	7	(10)
The Birth of Fantasy Cinema	17	(8)
Fairy Tales	25	(58)
Earthbound Fantasy	83	(79)
Heroic Fantasy	162	(70)
Epic Fantasy	232	(41)
Bibliography	273	(2)
Index	275