The cinematic city

About this book

The role played by the city is central to a wide variety of films. In everyday experience, cities frequently seem to possess a cinematic quality. Yet the relationship between city and cinema has been neglected in both film and urban studies. The contributors to this multidisciplinary volume have sought to remedy this situation by offering a detailed and wide-ranging look at the 'cinematic city'. Covering a diverse selection of films, genres, cities, and historical periods, the innovative and thought-provoking essays gathered together here offer numerous insights to those interested in cities, film, and their conjunction. By introducing some of the major dimensions of urban theory and film theory at the outset, the collection proceeds towards a detailed understanding of the cinematic forms most significantly related to the city - including early cinema, documentary film, film noir, 'New Wave' and postmodern cinema. The volume provides a wealth of empirical detail whilst drawing on the theoretical insights of Benjamin, Baudrillard, Foucault, Deleuze, Lacan, Lefebvre and contemporary feminism.