Demographic Angst
Cultural Narratives and American Films of the 1950s
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Rutgers University Press
Published:26th Dec '17
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£124.00(9780813565507)
In this analysis, Alan Nadel examines how influential non-fiction and films like Singin’ in the Rain and On the Waterfront reflect and address societal anxieties during postwar America's demographic shifts.
In "Demographic Angst," Alan Nadel delves into the intersection of influential non-fiction literature and film to analyze the societal anxieties that arose in postwar America. He examines a range of texts, including books, magazine articles, and public documents, alongside classic films such as Singin’ in the Rain, On the Waterfront, Sunset Boulevard, Roman Holiday, North by Northwest, and Sayonara. Through this exploration, Nadel highlights how these films reflect and negotiate the profound demographic changes that characterized the era.
The book argues that during the High Cold War, American society became increasingly fixated on the concept of normality. This obsession is portrayed as an attempt to return to a pre-war way of life that had been disrupted by both the Great Depression and World War II. Nadel suggests that this quest for normalcy served as a political agenda and social ethic, which ultimately stifled open discussions about the anxieties stemming from the nation’s transformed population dynamics.
Nadel's analysis reveals that the films of the 1950s served as a medium through which these emerging anxieties could be processed and expressed, albeit indirectly. By examining the cultural narratives present in these works, "Demographic Angst" provides valuable insights into how American society grappled with its identity in the wake of significant demographic shifts, reflecting broader themes of adaptation and resilience in a rapidly changing landscape.
"Demographic Angst convincingly places movies at the center of complex cultural tensions and shifts within post-World War II America. Nadel's discussion of this topic is unprecedented."
-- Timothy Corrigan * co-author of The Film Experience: An Introduction *
"Demographic Angst offers an encyclopedic account of questions central to modern American culture and society. There is no doubt that the lessons of this book are now more urgent than ever before." -- Kate Baldwin * author of Beyond the Color Line and the Iron Curtain: Reading Encounters between Black and Red *
"The fun and interest of this book, despite its account of a grim post WWII American angst, comes in the unusual combination of films at play: from Singin in the Rain to The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, from Lina Lamont to Norma Desmond to Margo Channing, Nadel’s insightful study reveals the bizarre disquiet of an age in which men could only preserve their innocence by putting women in their place." -- Linda Williams * author of On The Wire *
"Revisiting the early Cold War period, Demographic Angst offers illuminating historical perspectives on a dozen classic films. Well researched and always engaging, this is a perfect meeting of American studies and film studies." -- Steven Cohan * author of The Sound of Musicals *
"Explores newly emergent cultural anxieties as worked through in such films as Singin' in the Rain, On the Waterfront, and Sunset Boulevard." * Chronicle *
"Engaging and thought-provoking." * Philadelphia Inquirer *
"Nadel’s meticulously worked out argument puts Maher’s casual polemic on a solid foundation. As much as the book promises to enjoy longevity as an intelligent, well-informed, and insightful study of America in the Fifties, taking its place among landmarks studies like May’s Homeward Bound, critical understanding of Fifties-style identity politics as Nadel presents it in Demographic Angst might also inform the debate of contemporary politics—a politics which, incidentally, is similarly rife with “demographic angst” as that in the Fifties." * Cercles *
ISBN: 9780813565491
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 15mm
Weight: 363g
268 pages