Refocus: The Films of Paul Leni - (Refocus: The International Directors) by Erica Tortolani & Martin F Norden (Paperback)

About the Book

This collection - the first comprehensive English-language study of Leni's life and career - offers new insights into his national and international films, his bold forays into scenic design and his transition from German to Hollywood filmmaking.

Book Synopsis

Silent-era film scholarship has all too often focused on a handful of German directors, including Fritz Lang, F. W. Murnau and Ernst Lubitsch, but little attention has been paid to arguably one of the most influential filmmakers of the period: Paul Leni. This collection - the first comprehensive English-language study of Leni's life and career - offers new insights into his national and international films, his bold forays into scenic design and his transition from German to Hollywood filmmaking.
The contributors give fresh insights into Leni's most influential films, including Waxworks (1924), The Cat and the Canary (1927) and The Man Who Laughs (1928), and explores such lesser-known productions as The Diary of Dr. Hart (1918), Backstairs (1921) and the Rebus film series (1925-7). Engaging with new historical, analytical, and theoretical perspectives on Leni's work, this book is a groundbreaking exploration of a cinematic pioneer.

From the Back Cover

Silent-era film scholarship has all too often focused on a handful of German directors, including Fritz Lang, F. W. Murnau and Ernst Lubitsch, but little attention has been paid to arguably one of the most influential filmmakers of the period: Paul Leni. This collection - the first comprehensive English-language study of Leni's life and career - offers new insights into his national and international films, his bold forays into scenic design and his transition from German to Hollywood filmmaking. The contributors give fresh insights into Leni's most influential films, including Waxworks (1924), The Cat and the Canary (1927) and The Man Who Laughs (1928), and explores such lesser-known productions as The Diary of Dr. Hart (1918), Backstairs (1921) and the Rebus film series (1925-7). Engaging with new historical, analytical, and theoretical perspectives on Leni's work, this book is a groundbreaking exploration of a cinematic pioneer. Erica Tortolani is a doctoral candidate (ABD) in Communication with a concentration on Film Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA. Martin F. Norden teaches film history and screenwriting as Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA.

Review Quotes

The Films of Paul Leni is a welcome addition to Weimar cinema scholarship and a reminder that Leni's films are worth a second - and definitely a first close - look.--Claus Tieber, University of Vienna "Early Popular Visual Culture"

A highly welcome first volume in English on director, set designer, and graphic artist Paul Leni (1885-1929). The excellent essays collected here offer a multifaceted reappraisal of an astonishingly versatile film maker, highlighting the continued relevance of his groundbreaking work for the historiography of German and Hollywood film, and beyond.-- "Christian Rogowski, G. Armour Craig Professor in Language and Literature, Amherst College"

This book has brought Paul Leni research to a new level in one fell swoop.--Michael Wedel, Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg "Monatshefte"

This excellent book fully reinstates Paul Leni's status as one of silent German and American cinema's most inventive filmmakers. The contributors of this volume offer fresh perspectives on his diverse oeuvre which encompassed war films and the avant-garde, horror and comedy, expressionism and naturalism.-- "Tim Bergfelder, Professor of Film and Director of Internationalisation, Southampton University"

About the Author

Erica Tortolani earned a PhD in Film Studies at the University of Massachusetts.

Professor Martin Norden is Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts