Film as Religion (eBook)

Myths, Morals, and Rituals

John C. Lyden (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2003
299 Seiten
Nyu Press (Verlag)
978-0-8147-6517-3 (ISBN)

Infos

Choice Outstanding Academic Title 2003 Film as Religion argues that popular films perform a religious function in our culture. Like more formal religious institutions, films can provide us with ways to view the world and values to confront it. Lyden contends that approaches which interpret films only ideologically or theologically miss the mark in understanding their appeal to viewers. He develops an alternative method which shows how films can be understood as representing a religious worldview in their own right.Lyden surveys the state of the study of religion and film, offering an overview of previous methods before presenting his own. Rather than seeking to uncover hidden meanings in film detectable only to scholars, Lyden emphasizes how film functions for its audiences?the beliefs and values it conveys, and its ritual power to provide emotional catharsis. He includes a number of brief cases studies in which he applies this method to the study of film genres including westerns and action movies, children's films, and romantic comedies and individual films from The Godfather to E.T., showing how films can function religiously.

Inhalt

Part i A Method for Viewing Film as Religion:Existing Approaches to Religion and FilmThe Definition of Religion Myths about Myth Rituals and Morals The Religion-Film Dialogue as Interreligious Dialogue Part ii Genre and Film Analyses Westerns and Action Movies:Die Hard (1988) Gangster Films The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather, Part II (1974) Melodrama, Tearjerkers, and “Women’s Films”:Titanic (1997) Romantic Comedies:When Harry Met Sally (1989) Children’s Films and Fantasy E.T., The Extraterrestrial (1982) Science Fiction:The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) The Original Star Wars Films (1977, 1980, 1983) Thrillers and Horror Movies:Alfred Hitchcock Psycho (1960) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Conclusion Notes Bibliography Name and Subject Index Film Index About the Author 

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.6.2003
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Kunst / Musik / Theater ► Film / TV
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Kommunikation / Medien ► Medienwissenschaft
• ISBN-10: 0-8147-6517-3 / 0814765173
• ISBN-13: 978-0-8147-6517-3 / 9780814765173