In Person: Reenactment in Postwar and Contemporary Cinema

In Person: Reenactment in Postwar and Contemporary Cinema explores the new performative genre of in-person reenactment, which departs from other modes of mimetic reconstruction. It theorizes the figure's protean temporality and revisionist capabilities, considering its import in terms of social representativity and exemplarity. The book provides close readings of select, historicized examples to understand the self-reflexive nature of postwar and post-holocaust testimonial cinemas. It also examines the convergence between verité experiments, heightened self-critique, and the reception of psychodrama in France. Finally, it reflects on the shift from the exemplary and transformative ethos of fifties reenactment towards the un-redemptive stance of contemporary reenactment films.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 424 pages
Publication date: 07 February 2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

In-person reenactment has emerged as a novel performative genre in postwar and contemporary cinema, departing significantly from other modes of mimetic reconstruction. In Person delves into the enigmatic nature of this figure, exploring its multifaceted temporality and revisionist capabilities. It examines the significance of in-person reenactment in terms of social representativity and exemplarity, providing close readings of select, historicized examples. The book contextualizes Zavattini's proposal for an anti-individualist, public display of personal stories in neorealism, examining the convergence between verité experiments, heightened self-critique in France, and the reception of psychodrama in the late 1950s. It also reflects on the challenges of celebrity biopics, exploring how the circularity of a star's iconography is confronted by their physical limitations.

In Person traces a shift from the exemplary and transformative ethos of fifties reenactment towards the un-redemptive stance of contemporary reenactment films. It defines continuities between verite testimony and later para-juridical films, suggesting the power of co-presence and in-person actualization for an ethics of viewership.

Overall, In Person offers a comprehensive exploration of in-person reenactment as a performative genre, shedding light on its complexities, implications, and historical contexts. It contributes to our understanding of the role of performance in shaping our perception of the past and the present.

Weight: 616g
Dimension: 157 x 234 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190496838