Elvis Cinema and Popular Culture
Format:Paperback
Publisher:McFarland & Co Inc
Published:13th Jun '06
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Though Elvis Presley's music is widely credited as starting a sea change in American popular culture, his films are often dismissed as superficial. Beyond the formulaic plotlines and the increasingly weaker songs, however, the films are rich with resonance to the changing times in which they were produced (roughly 1955-1970). They were also a means by which Elvis communicated deeply felt autobiographical material to his fan base, although in the guise of lighthearted escapist fare.
This work takes a new stand, maintaining that Elvis's 31 Hollywood features and two documentaries reveal a profound statement from the star and auteur. Analyzing each film in detail and exploring the body of work as a whole, Brode reveals the Elvis persona as a contemporary Candide, attempting to navigate an ever changing social and political landscape.
“Elvis fans will welcome Brode’s study, which makes the case for more significance in the Presley musicals than most critics have yet seen. You’ll never watch Love Me Tender or Spinout the same way again (and again!).”—Linda Ray Pratt, author, Elvis, or the Ironies of a Southern Identity.
ISBN: 9780786425266
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 16mm
Weight: 435g
319 pages