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Klappentext Illustrated with over 200 frame enlargements and production stills. Zusammenfassung Presents a study of American film musical. This book combines genre theory with film criticism and history. It is suitable for film enthusiasts and scholars of film, theater, popular culture and communications. Inhaltsverzeichnis PREFACEI. An Introduction to the Theory of Genre Analysis General Discourse on Meaning The Role of Generic Formations in Meaning Production The Role of the Critic Toward Objective Evaluation of Subjective Criticism Establishing a CorpusII. The American Film Musical as Dual-Focus NarrativeIII. The Structure of the American Film Musical The film process through a series of paired segments matching the male and female leads Each separate part of the film recapitulates the film's overall duality The basic sexual duality overlays a secondary dichotomy The marriage which resolves the primary (sexual) dichotomy also mediates between the two terms of the secondary (thematic) oppositionIV. The Style of the American Film Musical Audio Dissolve Video Dissolve Personality DissolveV. The Problem of Genre History Problems with Current Terminology Towards a New Terminology Defining the Corpus Reformulating Genre History The History of the American Film Musical: A New ApproachVI. The Fairy Tale Musical Prehistory Sex as Sex Sex as Battle Sex as AdventureVII. The Show Musical The Sources of Show Musical Semantics Backstage: The Syntax of Illusion Taking it Out of the Theater Saving the Dying Myth: Reflexivity as ReinforcementVIII. The Folk Musical Elements of the Folk Musical Building a Folk Syntax A Folk Art in the Age of Mass MediaIX. Genre and Culture The Fundamental Characteristics of Genre Film Symbolic Spectatorship Work and Entertainment The Musical's Operational Role The Practice of Music in the Age of Electronic ReproductionConclusionBIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTESNOTESYEARLY TABLE OF MUSICALS BY SUBGENREINDEX...
List of contents
PREFACE
I. An Introduction to the Theory of Genre Analysis
General Discourse on Meaning
The Role of Generic Formations in Meaning Production
The Role of the Critic
Toward Objective Evaluation of Subjective Criticism
Establishing a Corpus
II. The American Film Musical as Dual-Focus Narrative
III. The Structure of the American Film Musical
The film process through a series of paired segments matching the male and female leads
Each separate part of the film recapitulates the film's overall duality
The basic sexual duality overlays a secondary dichotomy
The marriage which resolves the primary (sexual) dichotomy also mediates between the two terms of the secondary (thematic) opposition
IV. The Style of the American Film Musical
Audio Dissolve
Video Dissolve
Personality Dissolve
V. The Problem of Genre History
Problems with Current Terminology
Towards a New Terminology
Defining the Corpus
Reformulating Genre History
The History of the American Film Musical: A New Approach
VI. The Fairy Tale Musical
Prehistory
Sex as Sex
Sex as Battle
Sex as Adventure
VII. The Show Musical
The Sources of Show Musical Semantics
Backstage: The Syntax of Illusion
Taking it Out of the Theater
Saving the Dying Myth: Reflexivity as Reinforcement
VIII. The Folk Musical
Elements of the Folk Musical
Building a Folk Syntax
A Folk Art in the Age of Mass Media
IX. Genre and Culture
The Fundamental Characteristics of Genre Film
Symbolic Spectatorship
Work and Entertainment
The Musical's Operational Role
The Practice of Music in the Age of Electronic Reproduction
Conclusion
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
NOTES
YEARLY TABLE OF MUSICALS BY SUBGENRE
INDEX
About the author
Charles (Rick) F. Altman
