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Directors' Cuts

The Cinema of Ang Lee: The Other Side of the Screen

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The first full-length study of its kind, the book investigates recurring themes and motifs across Ang Lee's astonishingly diverse range of works. From the blockbuster, Hulk , to the period drama, Sense and Sensibility , each film is studied in depth to reveal Lee's interest in gender, cultural identity, family ritual and social duty.

The volume not only investigates Lee's greatest successes— Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), which transformed the status of Chinese martial arts films across the globe, and Brokeback Mountain (2005), which challenged the reception and presentation of homosexuality in mainstream cinema - it also discusses his earlier works, such as Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) and The Wedding Banquet (1993). By looking at the beginnings of Lee's career, Whitney Crothers Dilley positions the filmmaker's work within the roots of the Taiwan New Cinema movement, as well as the larger context of world cinema. Accessible, lively and incisive, this new addition to our Directors' Cuts series not only provides a valuable academic resource but also an enjoyable read for anyone interested in this acclaimed director.

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

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Whitney Crothers Dilley

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Japan Connect (Fabienne).
98 reviews100 followers
January 30, 2022
Dieses Buch beleuchtet alle Filme von Ang Lee, die bis 2012 die Leinwand zu Leben erweckten: Von "Pushing Hands" (1991) bis "Life of Pi" (2012) ist alles dabei. Die chronologische Analyse seiner Werke mit einer vorangehenden Biographie zeigt rekurrente Motive und Stilmittel auf und bietet auf biographische Ereignisse gestützt Erklärungsansätze für Lees Beschäftigung mit diesen Themen. Zudem zeigt das Buch die unglaubliche Diversität von Lees Werken auf, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat.

Allerdings war ich etwas enttäuscht von der redundanten Sprache in den ersten drei Kapiteln und der eher oberflächlichen Analyse seiner ersten Werke. Das hatte bei mir den Eindruck erweckt, dass die Autorin sich mit seinen späteren Werken intensiver beschäftigt hatte und zu ersteren nur Punkte aus der Sekundärliteratur und Fakten der Entstehungsgeschichte wiedergab anstatt eine eigene Interpretation darzubieten.

Trotzdem eine Empfehlung wenn Ihr Lees Filme mögt.

Mehr Details in meiner Video-Rezension:
https://youtu.be/KrkHDQy7WCA
Profile Image for Andrew.
71 reviews
March 10, 2023
I don't think this is a particularly great book, although there are nice insights into Lee's films (especially his themes); it's just terribly uninteresting and dull, even though the author clearly knows her stuff, both in terms of the cultural, political, and historical aspects/contexts that surround these very complicated film.
Profile Image for Sharon.
52 reviews6 followers
March 13, 2021
美国人对华语电影的理解的确相当浅薄啊 这样也能写分析电影的书吗?只有介绍李安生平经历的第一章第一节值得一读
Profile Image for Jesse.
10 reviews3 followers
July 7, 2024
super interesting to see Ang Lee's comment on Ziyi Zhang for his casting of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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