The Ambivalent Legacy of Elia Kazan : The Politics of the Post-HUAC Films.
- 1st ed.
- 1 online resource (277 pages)
- Film and History Series .
- Film and History Series .
Intro -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1 Viva Zapata! (1952) and Cold War Liberalism -- 2 Kazan and the Anti-Communist Film Genre -- 3 The Ambivalence of Informing -- 4 Fathers and Sons and the Cost of Pursuing the American Dream -- 5 Sexuality and the New South -- 6 A Return to Progressive Principles and the Shape of Things to Come -- 7 Looking Backward and the Cost of Progress -- 8 Anticipating the Youth Rebellion of the 1960s -- 9 The Anatolian Smile and the Immigrant Experience -- 10 Rebelling against the Arranged Life -- 11 The Final Films -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the Author.
In 1952, Elia Kazan testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigating alleged communist infiltration of the entertainment industry. The cloud of this cooperation, which assured that the filmmaker would avoid the blacklist, plagued Kazan throughout the remainder of his life and career. This book presents a close analysis of Kazan's cinema following his testimony, examining the political themes they conveyed, in order to gain a better understanding of the filmmaker's consciousness. The films covered in this volume include Viva Zapata (1952), On the Waterfront (1954), East of Eden (1954), Baby Doll (1956), A Face in the Crowd (1957), Splendor in the Grass (1961), America, America (1963), and The Last Tycoon (1976).
9781442271685
Motion pictures - Political aspects - United States - History - 20th century.