Roman Polanski The Cinema of a Cultural Traveller

by Mazierska, Ewa

• ISBN13: 9781845112967
• ISBN10: 1845112962
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-06-15
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris

Summary

Roman Polanski, director of Knife in the Water,Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown and The Pianistis recognized and respected internationally. Yet even film critics find it difficult to say what a "Polanski film" is. This welcome book unravels the meanings of Polanski's films , devoting each of its chapters to an important aspect: the autobiographical factor, characters and narratives, literary adaptations like Tess and the recent Oliver Twist, Polanski's use of many genres, his music, represented ideology and so on.In so doing, it uncovers both the common elements in his films and the ambiguities and paradoxes of his cinema. Ewa Mazierska reveals the essentials of Polanski, influenced by many people and movements, moving easily between Europe and America, between low budget and big budget endeavors.

Author Biography

Ewa Mazierska is Senior Lecturer in Film and Media Studies, Central Lancashire University.  She is co-author, with Laura Rascaroli of From Moscow to Madrid (I.B. Tauris) and Dreams and Diaries: The Cinema of Nanni Moretti (Wallflower).

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. vii
Acknowledgements	p. ix
Introduction: An elusive filmmaker	p. 1
The autobiographical effect in the cinema of Polanski	p. 7
The absurd and how to deal with it: Narratives and characters in Polanski's films	p. 24
Landscapes and inner sceneries: Recurring visual motifs of Polanski's films	p. 50
All that jazz and noise: Music in Polanski's films	p. 91
Trust yourself: Polanski's ideology	p. 115
Adapt to survive and express oneself: Polanski's encounters with literature	p. 138
Matrix or empty vessel: Polanski's uses of genre	p. 163
Conclusion: The cinema of a cultural traveller	p. 187
Filmography (with technical details and synopses)	p. 193
Notes	p. 213
Bibliography	p. 217
Index	p. 225
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