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Projecting the End of the American Dream: Hollywood's Visions of U.S. Decline

(Hardback)


Publishing Details

Full Title:

Projecting the End of the American Dream: Hollywood's Visions of U.S. Decline

Contributors:

By (Author) Gordon B. Arnold

ISBN:

9780313385636

Publisher:

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Imprint:

Praeger Publishers Inc

Publication Date:

9th April 2013

Country:

United States

Classifications

Readership:

Tertiary Education

Fiction/Non-fiction:

Non Fiction

Main Subject:
Other Subjects:

Politics and government

Dewey:

791.43650973

Physical Properties

Physical Format:

Hardback

Number of Pages:

296

Dimensions:

Width 156mm, Height 235mm

Weight:

652g

Description

This provocative book reveals how Hollywood films reflect our deepest fears and anxieties as a country, often recording our political beliefs and cultural conditions while underscoring the darker side of the American way of life. Long before the war in Iraq and the economic crises of the early 21st century, Hollywood has depicted a grim view of life in the United States, one that belies the prosperity and abundance of the so-called American Dream. While the country emerged from World War II as a world power, collectively our sense of security had been threatened. The result is a cinematic body of work that has America's decline and ruin as a central theme. The author draws from popular films across all genres and six decades to illustrate how the political climate of the times influenced their creation. Projecting the End of the American Dream: Hollywood's Visions of U.S. Decline combines film history, social history, and political history to reveal important themes in the unfolding American narrative. Discussions focus on a wide variety of films, including Rambo, Planet of the Apes, and Easy Rider.

Reviews

Written free of jargon and pretension . . . Arnold adeptly manages to capture the most influential films representing each decade. . . . Recommended. * Choice *

Author Bio

Gordon B. Arnold, PhD, is professor of liberal arts at Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA.

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