The films of Orson Welles inhabit the spaces of cities-from America's industrializing midland to its noirish borderlands, from Europe's medieval fortresses to its Kafkaesque labyrinths and postwar rubblescapes. His movies take us through dark streets to confront nightmarish struggles for power, the carnivalesque and bizarre, and the shadows and light of human character. This ambitious new study explores Welles's vision of cities by following recurring themes across his work, including urban transformation, race relations and fascism, the utopian promise of cosmopolitanism, and romantic nostalgia for archaic forms of urban culture. It focuses on the personal and political foundation of Welles's cinematic cities-the way he invents urban spaces on film to serve his dramatic, thematic, and ideological purposes. The book's critical scope draws on extensive research in international archives and builds on the work of previous scholars. Viewing Welles as a radical filmmaker whose innovative methods were only occasionally compatible with the commercial film industry, this volume examines the filmmaker's original vision for butchered films, such as The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) and Mr. Arkadin (1955), and considers many projects the filmmaker never completed-an immense "shadow oeuvre" ranging from unfinished and unreleased films to unrealized treatments and screenplays.

ISBN-10

0231173407
ISBN-13

978-0231173407
Edition

Illustrated
Publisher

Wallflower Press
Publication date

16 Feb. 2016
Language

English
Dimensions

15.49 x 2.29 x 23.62 cm
Print length

304 pages
See all details

Product description

Review

Offers enjoyable revelations for anyone familiar with Welles's work.--Times Literary Supplement

An impressive work of archival research and film analysis.... A valuable contribution to the scholarly literature on cinematic places.--Mediapolis

Asprey Gear's At the End of the Street in the Shadow: Orson Welles and the City has much to offer anyone interested in the numerous projects brought into being by Welles.--afterimage

About the Author

Matthew Asprey Gear is an honorary academic at Macquarie University, Sydney. He has lectured in film studies and screenwriting and is the founding coeditor of Contrappasso magazine. Visit www.matthewaspreygear.com

Start reading At the End of the Street in the Shadow on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wallflower Press; Illustrated edition (16 Feb. 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0231173407
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0231173407
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.49 x 2.29 x 23.62 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 13,401,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 5,997 in Film Director Biographies
- 6,115 in Film Guides & Reviews
- 30,132 in Film History & Criticism (Books)

Customer reviews:
1 rating

Customer reviews

5 star		100%
4 star 0% (0%)		0%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How are ratings calculated?

Top review from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Eileen

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 January 2016

A wonderful book about one of the greatest actor/directors of all time - Orson Welles.
This is part travel book and part life story, with some surprising facts also. For instance the film "The Third Man" supposedly based in Vienna, was shot elsewhere, the carousel scene was the the only Viennese scene in the film.
All in all a great tribute to a great man.
Very highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Columbia University Press via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	AbeBooks Books, art & collectables	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Download Audiobooks	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	DPReview Digital Photography	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations

Amazon Home Services Experienced pros Happiness Guarantee	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands

Amazon Warehouse Deep Discounts Open-Box Products	Amazon Business Service for business customers	Whole Foods Market We Believe in Real Food	Amazon Second Chance Pass it on, trade it in, give it a second life

Select Your Cookie Preferences

At the End of the Street in the Shadow: Orson Welles and the City Hardcover – Illustrated, 16 Feb. 2016