Czech and Slovak Cinema

This book is the first study in English to examine some of the key themes and traditions of Czech and Slovak cinema, linking inter-war and post-war cinemas together with developments in the post-Communist period. It examines links between theme, genre, and visual style, and looks at the ways in which a range of styles and traditions has extended across different historical periods and political regimes. Czech and Slovak Cinema provides a unique study of areas of Central European film history that have not previously been examined in English. Key Features *An overview of the development of the Czech and Slovak industries in the pre-war and post-war periods and their adaptation to privatisation in the 1990s. *A consideration of some of the key stylistic and thematic tendencies, focussing on comedy and lyricism, which are characteristics of all periods. *An examination of the political role of film, with particular emphasis on the period of the Prague Spring. *The continuing influence of the Surrealist tradition in the feature film and on the living tradition of the animated film, with particular reference to puppetry.*An analysis of representations of the Holocaust in films produced during the Communist period and more recently. *A consideration of the defining characteristics of Slovak cinema. The book will be of value to students within the field of Film and Media Studies as well as the general market, together with specialist chapters of interest to other disciplines.

Draws on almost the entire corpus of Czech and Slovak cinema! Essential but formerly marginalised talents such as Jiri Trnka and Karel Zeman now rightly enjoy pride of place in the chapter on animation alongside the inevitable Jan Svankmajer! An invaluable book. -- Michael Brooke Sight and Sound A fascinating history of Czechoslovak cinema reveals Czech and Slovak film themes and a discussion of various traditions but it also offers, surprisingly, history seen through the prism of cinema... Innovative and fresh. -- Angela Spindler-Brown British Czech and Slovak Review Peter Hames's monograph is an extremely important publication, providing guidance to the interested reader through the rich history of Czech and Slovak cinema. It will stimulate interest in the cinemas of East-Central Europe in the English-speaking world, undoubtedly becoming a catalyst for heated discussion, as this review has attempted to demonstrate. -- Jan Culik Studies in East European Cinema A comprehensive and exciting look at at Czech and Slovak Cienma. it can be interesting and provocative to veterans of the region's cinemas, but it can also benefit students who are new to this topic. -- Lilla Toke, Rochester Institute of Technology Slavonic and East European Review Draws on almost the entire corpus of Czech and Slovak cinema! Essential but formerly marginalised talents such as Jiri Trnka and Karel Zeman now rightly enjoy pride of place in the chapter on animation alongside the inevitable Jan Svankmajer! An invaluable book. A fascinating history of Czechoslovak cinema reveals Czech and Slovak film themes and a discussion of various traditions but it also offers, surprisingly, history seen through the prism of cinema... Innovative and fresh. Peter Hames's monograph is an extremely important publication, providing guidance to the interested reader through the rich history of Czech and Slovak cinema. It will stimulate interest in the cinemas of East-Central Europe in the English-speaking world, undoubtedly becoming a catalyst for heated discussion, as this review has attempted to demonstrate. A comprehensive and exciting look at at Czech and Slovak Cienma. it can be interesting and provocative to veterans of the region's cinemas, but it can also benefit students who are new to this topic.

Peter Hames is Honorary Research Associate in Film and Media Studies at Staffordshire University. His books include The Czechoslovak New Wave (second edition, 2005) and, as editor, The Cinema of Central Europe (2004), The Cinema of Jan Svankmajer: Dark Alchemy (second edition, 2008), and Cinemas in Transition (with Catherine Portuges, forthcoming). He has contributed to a wide range of publications, including Sight and Sound, Index on Censorship, Canadian Slavonic Papers, and KinoKultura.