The Samurai Film - Hardcover

Silver, Alain

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0879511753 ISBN 13: 9780879511753

Publisher: Abrams Press, 1984

Synopsis

The image of a lone hero, marked by a violent past and bound by honor, has exerted an endless fascination on film audiences the world over, but nowhere more than in Japan, where Samurai films have gained legions of passionate followers.

Very likely the world's most astute Western analyst of this genre, Alain SIlver deconstructs the key aspects of this vital fim genre, from its focus on violence and death as a means of understanding life and the significance of swords and weaponry to key elements and motifs such as hara-kiri, rebellion, and nostalgia for Japan's feudal past. With comprehensive filmographies of the major directors and films, a survey of the history and myths of the Samurai, a glossary of Japanese terms, and extensively illustrated with more than two hundred photos, this revised and expanded edition of The Samurai Film is the ultimate resource for one of world cinema's most influential and compelling genres.

About this title

From the Publisher:

From Throne of Blood to Kill Bill, the richly illustrated standard guide to one of the world's most enduring film genres.

About the Author:

Alain Silver is a graduate of the School of Theatre, Film, and Television at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he received his Ph.D. in Motion Picture History. He is the author of Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to American Style, The Noir Style, and Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles, all available from Overlook.

About this edition

• Publisher: Abrams Press
• Publication date: 1984
• ISBN 10: 0879511753
• ISBN 13: 9780879511753
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 242