Death at the Movies
Hollywood's Guide to the Hereafter
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- 12,99 €
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- 12,99 €
Descrizione dell’editore
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Resurrection (1980), Poltergeist (1982), Beetlejuice (1988), Ghost (1990), Groundhog Day (1993), The Sixth Sense (1999) — these are only a few of the influential movies in recent decades dealing with the afterlife. But beyond entertainment, do they mean anything? The authors of this wise and well-informed guide believe so. They explore how popular motion pictures, from Outward Bound (1930) to Hereafter, play a perhaps unconscious role in guiding humanity toward its evolutionary comprehension of the meaning and purpose of death. They draw on the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Buddhism, and depth psychology to review some of the most spiritually powerful films ever made. Death is, say the authors, at once the most immediate locked door and the ultimate frontier, a staggering paradox that invites us to search for deeper understanding based upon a level of consciousness beyond thought. After reading this book, you’ll never view Casablanca or The Wizard of Oz the same way again.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hollywood is fascinated with death. And many share this fascination, according to authors Lyn Genelli, a marriage and family therapist, and Tom Genelli, a psychotherapist with a Ph.D. in psychology and a background in film production. The authors examine several movies that they dub "film blanc," a twist on the popular noir genre of 1940s and 1950s films. These films examine the realm between life and death and between the material and spiritual aspects of human existence, seen in such popular movies as The Wizard of Oz, It's a Wonderful Life, Groundhog Day, Ghost, and The Sixth Sense. Movies such as these acknowledge human beings' resistance to facing the end of life while also showcasing characters who gain self-awareness through their encounters with death. The authors point to two major themes on which these films capitalize: human anxiety about death and a sense that there is something beyond the material world, an "intuition of the transcendent." The authors' analysis draws heavily upon eastern mystical traditions, which provides a unique and potent interpretive lens. Casual fans and film buffs will be encouraged to see these movies again through new eyes.
