Lights, Camera, Execution!: Cinematic Portrayals of Capital Punishment

(Hardback)

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Lights, Camera, Execution!: Cinematic Portrayals of Capital Punishment fills a prominent void in the existing film studies and death penalty literature. Each chapter focuses on a particular cinematic portrayal of the death penalty in the United States. Some of the analyzed films are well-known Hollywood blockbusters, such as Dead Man Walking (1995); others are more obscure, such as the made-for-television movie Murder in Coweta County (1983). By contrasting different portrayals where appropriate and identifying themes common to many of the studied films such as the concept of dignity and the role of race (and racial discrimination) the volume strengthens the readers ability to engage in comparative analysis of topics, stories, and cinematic techniques.Written by three professors with extensive experience teaching, and writing about the death penalty, film studies, and criminal justice, Lights, Camera, Execution! is deliberately designed for both classroom use and general readership.

Reviews

In this compelling examination of the death penalty on film the authors show that the success of those films depends on their capacity to draw their audiences into individual stories rather than their taking a pro or anti-capital punishment stance. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the culture life of state killing. -- Austin Sarat, Amherst College
Lights, Camera, Execution! fills an important void in our knowledge about how cinema engages with the important issue of the death penalty, and does so via fascinating, yet thorough, analyses of several films, including many that will be new to most readers. Everyone from new undergraduates to seasoned film buffs will find something of value in this groundbreaking work. Highly recommended. -- Justin Vaughn, co-editor of Poli Sci Fi: An Introduction to Political Science through Science Fiction

Author Bio

Helen J. Knowles is associate professor of political science at the State University of New York at Oswego. Bruce Altschuler is professor emeritus at the State University of New York at Oswego. Jaclyn Schildkraut is associate professor of criminal justice at the State University of New York at Oswego.