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The Films of Lawrence Kasdan

(book in English)

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by Brett Davies

Type: Studies
Subject: Director > Lawrence Kasdan
Keywords: Lawrence Kasdan
Publishing Date: 2024 (March 31, 2024)
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Collection: ReFocus: The American Directors Series
Language: English

Dimensions

Physical desc.

Hardcover • 248 pages • 118 €
6 x 9.25 inches (15.5 x 23.5 cm)

ISBN

978-1-3995-2407-0

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Book Presentation:
Critically examines the work of American filmmaker and screenwriter, Lawrence Kasdan
Considers industrial, cultural and political contexts, revealing how Kasdan’s work has influenced – and been influenced by – wider American society
Reconciles Kasdan’s screenwriting and directing to demonstrate how each role complements the other, raising questions about the director-centered approach that still dominates film studies
Provides evidence of Kasdan’s significant contribution to the creation of the Star Wars saga and, by extension, modern cinematic storytelling
Lawrence Kasdan has created some of the most influential films in Hollywood history. He is the screenwriter of such beloved blockbusters as The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Bodyguard (1992), and The Force Awakens (2015). Simultaneously, he has gained critical acclaim as the director of pictures that dissect contemporary American society: Body Heat (1981), The Big Chill (1983), The Accidental Tourist (1988), and Grand Canyon (1991).

Contents:
Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part I: "I'm making this up as I go" Lawrence Kasdan and Raiders of the Lost Ark

Chapter 1. Smith and Jones: Discourse Analysis of the Raiders of the Lost Ark Story Conference

Chapter 2. Visual Language in the Raiders of the Lost Ark Screenplay

Part II: Kasdan the Director: Developing Style(s)

Chapter 3. Body Heat: Heightened Style in the Neo-Noir

Chapter 4. Classical Structure in the "Perfect Ensemble" of The Big Chill

Part III: Voice of the Largest Generation

Chapter 5. Altruism and Otherness in The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and Grand Canyon

Chapter 6. Cowboys, Aliens, and Sixtysomethings: Age and Nostalgia in Kasdan's Later Films

Part IV: Influences, Without and Within

Chapter 7. From Noir to Kurosawa: Allusion and Homage in Lawrence Kasdan's Films

Chapter 8. Kasdan's Collaborations: Creation and Performance

Part V: A Long Time in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Chapter 9. From Star Wars to Saga: Lawrence Kasdan and The Empire Strikes Back

Chapter 10. Revenge of the Monomyth: Reclaiming the Hero's Journey in Return of the Jedi

Chapter 11. A New Hope in The Force Awakens

Chapter 12. A Changed Man: Solo and Beyond

Chapter 13. An Interview with Lawrence Kasdan

Lawrence Kasdan: Writing and Directing Credits

Filmography

Bibliography

See the publisher website: Edinburgh University Press

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