Cinema's Melodramatic Celebrity: Film, Fame, and Personal Worth

Mandy Merck argues that modern fame and film melodrama share a worldview that cannot reconcile personal worth with social esteem, tracing this conundrum back to the philosophy of the 17th century and the theatre of the 18th. She examines a range of films to illustrate how the cinema constantly restages the moral evaluation of prominent individuals, whether they are actors, artists, politicians, or activists.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 27 January 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The study of celebrity and cinema is a complex and multifaceted endeavor that has been the subject of much debate and analysis. Mandy Merck, in her book "Fame and Melodrama: Modernity, Celebrity, and the Cinema," challenges the traditional understanding of these two phenomena and argues that they are part of a larger worldview that cannot adequately address the relationship between personal worth and social esteem. Merck traces the history of this conundrum back to the philosophy of the 17th century and the theatre of the 18th, demonstrating how it converged in stage melodrama and intensified in the Hollywood star system.

One of the central arguments of Merck's book is that modern fame and film melodrama share a common worldview that cannot resolve the tension between personal worth and social esteem. This worldview is characterized by a focus on spectacle, judgment, and visual guidance, and it permeates not only fiction film but also documentary, the artist's film, and our self-exhibition on social media. Merck examines a range of classical and contemporary films, from Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights" (1931) to Laura Poitrass's "Citizenfour" (2014), to illustrate how the cinema constantly restages the moral evaluation of prominent individuals, whether they are actors, artists, politicians, or activists.

Through her analysis, Merck demonstrates how the cinema provides a platform for the public to judge and evaluate individuals based on their public image and behavior. She argues that the melodramatic imagination survives in this context, permeating not only fiction film but also documentary, the artist's film, and our self-exhibition on social media. The many remakes of "A Star Is Born," the compulsory exhibitionism of political celebrity, and the unmasking of whistle-blowers are all examples of how the cinema constantly restages the moral evaluation of prominent individuals.

Merck's book is a valuable contribution to the study of celebrity and the cinema, offering a fresh perspective on these two phenomena and their relationship to modern society. It challenges the traditional understanding of fame and melodrama and provides a framework for analyzing the ways in which the cinema shapes our perception of prominent individuals. Whether one agrees with Merck's arguments or not, her book is a thought-provoking and engaging read that will undoubtedly inspire further discussion and analysis in the field.

Weight: 484g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781839024573