Close-Up

Analyses what makes an acting performance excellent, through a range of examples from world cinemaWhat actors do on-screen is a fascination for audiences all over the world. Indeed, the cultural visibility of movie stars is so pronounced that stardom has often been regarded as intrinsic to the medium's specificity. Yet not all great cinematic performances are star turns, and so, what really makes a cinematic performance good, interesting, or important has been a neglected topic in film criticism. This two-volume set presents detailed interpretations of singular performances by several of the most compelling actors in cinema history, asking in many different and complementary ways what makes performance meaningful, how it reflects a director's style, as well as how it contributes to the development of national cinemas and cultures. Whether noting the precise ways actors shape film narrative, achieve emotional effect, or move toward political subversion, the essays in these books innovate new approaches to studying screen performance as an art form and cultural force.This second volume focuses on international cinema, and includes case studies of key performances from actors like Ingrid Bergman, Gael Garcia Bernal, Nikolai Cherkassov, Alec Guinness, Setsuko Hara, Isabelle Huppert, Peter Lorre, Madhubala, Anna Magnani, Toshiro Mifune, and Choi Min Sik, amongst many others.ContributorsUlka Anjaria, Brandeis UniversityJanet Bergstrom, UCLAHye Seung Chung, Colorado State UniversityCorey K. Creekmur, University of IowaAdrian Danks, RMIT University, MelbourneNick Davis, Northwestern UniversityDavid Desser, University of IllinoisDavid Scott Diffrient, Colorado State UniversityVictoria Duckett, Deakin University, MelbourneJason Jacobs, University of QueenslandAlexia Kannas, RMIT University, MelbourneMarcia Landy, University of PittsburghGina Marchetti, Independent Scholar Douglas McFarland, Flagler College, Saint AugustineAdrienne L. McLean, University of Texas at DallasJerry Mosher, California State University, Long BeachKarla Oeler, Stanford UniversityR. Barton Palmer, Clemson UniversityHomer B. Pettey, University of ArizonaMurray Pomerance, Ryerson University Sergio Rigoletto, University of OregonKyle Stevens, Appalachian State UniversityAaron Taylor, University of LethbridgeAlison Taylor, Bond University, QueenslandDolores Tierney, University of SussexNoah Tsika, Queens College, City University of New YorkTimotheus Vermeulen, University of Oslo