Black Lenses, Black Voices - (Genre and Beyond: A Film Studies) by Mark A Reid (Paperback)

About the Book

Black Lenses, Black Voices is a provocative look at films directed and written-and sometimes produced-by African Americans, as well as black-oriented films whose directors and or screenwriters are not black. Taking us through the development of African American independent fil...

Book Synopsis

Black Lenses, Black Voices is a provocative look at films directed and written--and sometimes produced--by African Americans, as well as black-oriented films whose directors and or screenwriters are not black. Taking us through the development of African American independent filmmaking before and after World War II, Mark A. Reid then illustrates the unique nature of African American family, action, horror, female-centered, and independent films, such as Eve's Bayou, Jungle Fever, Shaft, Souls of Sin, Bones, Waiting to Exhale, Monster's Ball, Sankofa, and many more.

Review Quotes

In Black Lenses, Black Voices Mark Reid has given us an always interesting summation of his evolving, highly original analysis of black film as a cinema 'committed to the survival and wholeness of an entire people.'

Mark Reid brings to our attention a complex and rich group of contemporary films, deftly setting them within their history in African American and Hollywood filmmaking. Always enlightening, never simple, Reid's work is significant for film criticism and for race and gender media analysis.

Reid makes another substantial contribution to literature on African American film history and theory with this book. . . . The volume's six freestanding essays examine early African American film, black family film, black action film, black horror film, black female-centered film, and black independent film. Essential.

This book will make a solid addition to the growing library of recent black film studies. . . . Highly recommended for all film collections.

About the Author

Mark A. Reid is professor of English and film at the University of Florida at Gainesville, where he teaches African Diasporic studies.