Prodigy. Iconoclast. Genius. Exile. Orson Welles remains one of the most discussed figures in cinematic history. In the centenary year of Welless birth; James Naremore presents a revised third edition of this incomparable study; including a new section on the unfinished film The Other Side of the Wind . Naremore analyzes the political and psychological implications of the films; Welless idiosyncratic style; and the biographical details--both playful and vexing--that impacted each work. Itself a historic film study; The Magic World of Orson Welles unlocks the soaring art and quixotic methods of a master.
#3196284 in eBooks 2015-05-13 2015-05-13File Name: B00XLLT628
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Author is too interested in appearing smart than in educating his audience.By Jen W.While the topic is fascinating; the author presents the material in a way that makes it nearly impossible for the non-academic to read. It seemed like the author was more interested in demonstrating his scholarly achievements and intelligence than in sharing insights with the audience in an understandable way. The text is heavily laden with references to French and German philosophers and art historians. Readers approaching this book without a solid foundation of the two are not welcomed by the author - how can a reader not get frustrated by continuous name dropping (e.g.; "Person X famously said Y") when the reader hasnt even heard of person X (let alone concept Y) and when no gist of the concept is provided. Ultimately that style of presentation prevents those who perhaps could benefit most from this book from being able to make any sense of it at all. On a more basic level; the title is a bit misleading as the author does not analyze photography as scientific evidence from 1876 to 1980. There was no analysis presented for periods after 1945; and the discussion was focused geographically only on Germany and Palestine. I did learn some things through reading this book; and it appears to be a heavily researched body of work; however; I cannot recommend it.
