Adapting Sex on Screen: The Cinematic Biographies of Lulu, La Ronde and Venus in Furs

(Hardback)

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Tracing the adaptation histories of Leopold von Sacher-Masochs novel Venus in Furs, Arthur Schnitzlers play La Ronde, and Frank Wedekind's play Lulu, Julian Preece explores how these works were censored, celebrated, and adapted for the screen from pre-World War I Austria to modern day United States.

Through case studies of filmmakers like Max Ophls, G.W. Pabst, and Roman Polanski, this book explores how directors have used sexual themes to push boundaries and critique societal norms. From Pandoras Box (1929) to La Ronde (1950), these films captured shifting attitudes toward sex, confronting issues such as Nazism, Hollywood censorship under the Hays Code, and the AIDS crisis. Preece also highlights how marginalised voicesparticularly women and minoritieshave fought for sexual rights on and off the screen.

This compelling analysis will appeal to students, scholars, and general readers interested in the intersection of film, literature, and sexuality. Adapting Sex on Screen provides a nuanced and engaging look at how cinematic portrayals of sex have both reflected and shaped social change, making it an essential resource for understanding the ongoing cultural significance of these provocative works.

Author Bio

Julian Preece is Professor of German at Swansea University, UK. His articles have featured in The German Monitor, German Life and Letters, and Monatshefte. His previous books include the BFI Film Classic The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum (2022), Gnter Grass (2018), Baader-Meinhof and the Novel: Narratives of the Nation / Fantasies of the Revolution, 1970-2010 (2012), and Out of the Shadows of a Husband: The Rediscovered Writings of Veza Canetti (2007).