Representations of Antiquity in Film

From Griffith to Grindhouse

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by Kevin M. Mcgeough

Type: Studies
Subject: Genre > Historical films
Keywords: historical films, peplum, ancien epic
Publishing date: 2022
Publisher: Equinox Publishing
Collection: Discourses in Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical
Language: English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 400 pages
6 ¾ x 9 ½ inches (17 x 24 cm)

ISBN

978-1-78179-981-9

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Book Presentation:
Representations of Antiquity in Film offers an introduction to how the ancient world is represented in film, especially in Hollywood cinema, and considers the potential that movies have for helping us think about antiquity and their relationship to more traditional academic historical work.

This book shows how contemporary issues are drawn out through cinematic presentations of the past and how modern values are naturalized through their presentation in ancient settings. Through discussion of films from the silent film era to the present, McGeough traces how films of various genres have shaped our perceptions of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Holy Land, Greece, Rome, barbarian Europe, and the Maya. Not ignoring the traditional historical epic film, this book also presents detailed analyses of comedies, action films, art house fare, exploitation flicks and any type of movie in which audiences experience depictions of the past.

By considering cinematic narrative and various elements of film design, McGeough presents a comprehensive overview of the topic designed for students and scholars with varying backgrounds in media studies, archaeology, religious studies, and ancient history.

About the Author:
Kevin M. McGeough is professor of archaeology in the Department of Geography at the University of Lethbridge and holds a Board of Governor's Research Chair in Archaeological Theory and Reception. Having excavated in Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, and Canada, he is the co-editor of the Alberta Archaeological Review and chair of publications for the American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR). He is currently researching the reception of Near Eastern Archaeology in a variety of media and has recently published a three-volume book on archaeological reception in the Victorian era, The Ancient Near East in the Nineteenth Century (2015).

See the publisher website: Equinox Publishing

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