Giallo Cinema and Its Folktale Roots - by Michael Sevastakis (Paperback)
About this item
Highlights
- The Italian giallo film genre--the equivalent of the American whodunit but incorporating extreme violence and sex--was based on popular British and American fiction of the 30s and 40s, adapted to the explicitly liberal filmmaking of 1970s and 1980s Europe.
- About the Author: Michael Sevastakis has served as a full professor in the communication department at the College of Mt. St. Vincent in Riverdale, New York.
- 240 Pages
- Performing Arts, Film
Description
About the Book
-The Italian giallo film genre was based on British and American fiction of the 30s and 40s, adapted to the filmmaking of 1970s and 1980s Europe. This book analyzes sex and violence of giallo films, finding in them beauty and tracing their literary antecedents to elements of the fairy tale as described by Russian folklorist Propp. ---Book Synopsis
The Italian giallo film genre--the equivalent of the American whodunit but incorporating extreme violence and sex--was based on popular British and American fiction of the 30s and 40s, adapted to the explicitly liberal filmmaking of 1970s and 1980s Europe. Seldom released in American theaters, these films were usually distributed as redacted bootlegs, awaiting digital technology to be restored to their original content and pristine visual form.
This book analyzes the censored sex and violence of giallo films, finding in them an inherent beauty and tracing their literary antecedents to the elements of the fairy tale as described by Russian folklorist Vladimir Propp. Each chapter covers a film and its director, from 1962 to 1987. The author argues that despite their formulaic production and designation as "Euro-sleaze," these films are works of individuality and artistic virtue.
Review Quotes
"makes the case for the giallo's artistic merit"-Flick Attack; "detailed, insightful, and intelligent"-Bookgasm.
About the Author
Michael Sevastakis has served as a full professor in the communication department at the College of Mt. St. Vincent in Riverdale, New York. He lives in Bronx, New York.