Visionary Film : The American Avant-Garde, 1943-2000
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Praise for previous editions of Visionary Film "Without question it is the first such book on the avant-garde film--the first one that probes this field in such depth, with such perspective and vision, with such insight and intelligence."--Jonas Mekas, The Village Voice
"Extremely informative and dense with associations that give it an importance and interest beyond the immediate subject matter."--Vincent Canby, The New York Times
"It is an event of no small importance that a work has now appeared on personal film that ranks as a first-rate work of critical analysis, bearing comparison with the best criticism in more traditional media. This book signals a coming of age for the literature of personal film.... For those who have never been able to see the films discussed, Visionary Film creates a powerful motivation to do so."--Afterimage
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Visionary Film has remained the standard text on the American avant-garde since the publication of its first edition in 1974. It has been hailed as the most complete work written on the exciting, often puzzling and always controversial genre of American avant-garde film. In this book P. Adams Sitney discusses the principle genres and the major filmmakers since Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid made their dreamlike film "Meshes of the Afternoon" in 1943. Sitney also identifies the emergence and flowering of a new genre, which he calls Menippean Satire. This edition also includes a chapter on the films of Gregory J. Markopoulos which had been dropped from the second edition.
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THE COLLABORATION OF Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid shortly after their marriage in 1942 recalls in its broad outline and its aspiration the earlier collaboration of Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel on Un Chien Andalou (1928). Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
THE COLLABORATION OF Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid shortly after their marriage in 1942 recalls in its broad outline and its aspiration the earlier collaboration of Salvador Dali and Luis Bunuel on Un Chien Andalou (1928). Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
VISIONARY FILM is the classic text about the American avant-garde cinema from the 1940s (when Maya Deren, Kenneth Anger and Gregory Markopoulos started making their own self-financed films) to 2000. It is scrupulously researched and very well-written, and the writing does flow so that the reader is just swept along on a highly informative journey into this most neglected and under-appreciated cinematic subculture. You're introduced to a fascinating array of characters, including Jack Smith, Ken Jacobs, Ernie Gehr, James Broughton, Bruce Baillie, Robert Breer and Harry Smith, and you're given exacting descriptions of their work. Two caveats: 1) Sitney never quite explicates why some filmmakers fit his "visionary" designation (like Jordan Belson) and others do not (like Stan VanDerBeek and Ed Emshwiller); 2) Sitney focuses on the literary antecedents of the work, but there is scant acknowledgement of the intersection of other artforms, such as dance, painting and sculpture, and music. But this is still the very best introduction to the subject, and VISIONARY FILM remains highly recommended.
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3 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Essential reading for those interested in avant-garde/experimental film
16 Jun 2008
Format:Paperback
Quite simply, anyone interested in the history of avant-garde film and its major filmmakers needs to pick "Visionary Film" up. It's one of the first, and still one of the finest, major texts to be published on the subject. Sitney has dedicated the majority of his life to the study of American avant-garde filmmaking, and it shows; he brings to his work both a breadth of knowledge and a depth of insight that are pretty much unparalleled.
It's quite a dense text, and some of the films discussed in the book can be very difficult to see, due to any number of distribution issues and the fact that many of the filmmakers discussed here have only exhibited their works on film. Still, you shouldn't let either of these things dissuade you from reading it; it's incredibly rewarding regardless.
One Note: The subtitle to the third edition here is somewhat misleading, since the book, originally published in 1974 (with a 2nd Ed. in 1979), focuses primarily on filmmakers and films from the early 1940s to the late 1970s. The final chapter of the third edition essentially acts as a brief summation of trends in the avant-garde from the end of the 1970s up to the end of the 20th century. It's certainly informative, but cursory compared to the rest of the book. Those disappointed by this, or anyone looking for a more detailed study of major avant-garde filmmakers and works during this time period should also take a look at Sitney's latest book, "Eyes Upside Down," which I am currently working my way through; so far, it too is exceptional.
It's quite a dense text, and some of the films discussed in the book can be very difficult to see, due to any number of distribution issues and the fact that many of the filmmakers discussed here have only exhibited their works on film. Still, you shouldn't let either of these things dissuade you from reading it; it's incredibly rewarding regardless.
One Note: The subtitle to the third edition here is somewhat misleading, since the book, originally published in 1974 (with a 2nd Ed. in 1979), focuses primarily on filmmakers and films from the early 1940s to the late 1970s. The final chapter of the third edition essentially acts as a brief summation of trends in the avant-garde from the end of the 1970s up to the end of the 20th century. It's certainly informative, but cursory compared to the rest of the book. Those disappointed by this, or anyone looking for a more detailed study of major avant-garde filmmakers and works during this time period should also take a look at Sitney's latest book, "Eyes Upside Down," which I am currently working my way through; so far, it too is exceptional.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Visionary Film
10 Mar 2009
Format:Paperback
book is great... if your at all interested in alternative cinema, i highly suggest that you check this out. it boils down some very pretentious and overbearing works so they are at the least understandable.
2 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Visionary Film
20 Oct 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Proffesor Stiney has a unique vision and perception of experimental film. This text has some interesting ideas and good points but I believe somewhat limited in scope. I would recomend this text as a good primer for many interested in avante garde and experimental film and video.
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