Intersecting Aesthetics: Literary Adaptations and Cinematic Representations of Blackness

Intersecting Aesthetics: Literary Adaptations and Cinematic Representations of Blackness explores how racial perspectives have influenced film adaptations and how race-inflected cultural norms have shaped studio and independent film depictions. It examines travelogue and autobiography sources, independent films, studio-era films, and post-studio films, revealing themes, aesthetic strategies, and cultural dynamics that belong to accounts of film adaptation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2023
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi

Intersecting Aesthetics: Literary Adaptations and Cinematic Representations of Blackness delves into the profound cultural and material trends that shaped Black film adaptations throughout the twentieth century. Contributors to this collection shed light on how Black literary and cinematic texts serve as spaces for negotiation between dominant and resistant perspectives, ultimately exploring the impact of racial perspectives on film adaptations and the influence of race-inflected cultural norms on studio and independent film depictions. Several chapters delve into the effects of self-censorship and industry censorship on Black writing and the adaptations of Black stories in early to mid-twentieth-century America. By utilizing archival material, contributors illustrate how commercial obstacles have led Black writers and white-dominated studios to obscure Black experiences. Moreover, other chapters document instances where Black writers and directors navigate cultural norms and material realities to bring their visions to life in literary works, independent films, and studio productions. Through the uncovering of patterns in Black film adaptations, Intersecting Aesthetics unveils themes, aesthetic strategies, and cultural dynamics that rightfully belong to accounts of film adaptation.

The volume encompasses a diverse range of sources, including travelogue and autobiography, as well as the fiction of Black authors such as H. G. de Lisser, Richard Wright, Ann Petry, Frank Yerby, and Walter Mosley. Contributors examine independent films such as The Love Wanga (1936) and The Devils Daughter (1939), Melvin Van Peebles' debut feature, The Story of a Three Day Pass (1967), and other notable works.

In conclusion, Intersecting Aesthetics: Literary Adaptations and Cinematic Representations of Blackness is a groundbreaking exploration of the complex interplay between literature, film, and race. Through its insightful contributions, the volume provides valuable insights into the historical, cultural, and aesthetic dimensions of Black film adaptations, shedding light on the ways in which these works have shaped and reflected the experiences of Black communities.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496848840