Paolo Sorrentino's Cinema and Television

Paolo Sorrentino is a Naples-born director and screenwriter who has written and directed nine films, winning an Oscar, a Bafta, and a Golden Globe for The Great Beauty in 2013. He created and directed his first TV series, The Young Pope, in 2016, and John Malkovich joined the cast in 2020 for the follow-up series. This is the first English-language collection dedicated to Sorrentino, offering original interpretations of his work by international contributors from the UK, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Australia, Israel, Canada, and the United States. It examines his recurrent grand themes of memory, nostalgia, aging, love, thirst for fulfillment, search for the self, identity crisis, human estrangement, marginality, irony, and power. The majority of the chapters are original, and it includes a Foreword by Giancarlo Lombardi and an interview with renowned costume designer Carlo Poggioli. The new collection makes a significant coherent contribution to the field, with primary readership being academics, researchers, and scholars of Italian film and media studies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2021
Publisher: Intellect Books

Paolo Sorrentino, a director and screenwriter born in Naples, has created an impressive body of work that includes nine films, winning an Oscar, a Bafta, and a Golden Globe for his 2013 masterpiece, The Great Beauty. In 2016, he ventured into television with the highly acclaimed series The Young Pope, starring Jude Law. The series continued to captivate audiences with the addition of John Malkovich in 2020 for its follow-up series. Sorrentino's films have garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards, solidifying his position as a world-leading auteur.

This comprehensive collection, the first in English dedicated to Sorrentino, offers valuable insights into his artistic journey. International contributors from various countries, including the UK, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Israel, Canada, and the United States, provide original interpretations of Sorrentino's work. They explore his recurring themes of memory, nostalgia, aging, love, fulfillment, self-discovery, identity crisis, human estrangement, marginality, irony, and power. By offering fresh perspectives and unique cues for discussion, these chapters challenge established assumptions and interpretations, fostering a deeper understanding of Sorrentino's cinematic universe.

In addition to examining his artistic themes, the book also addresses important and contemporary issues such as eco-cinema and post-secularism. It explores the connections between Sorrentino's highly visual cinema and artistic practices, including painting and architecture. While there are several books on Sorrentino available in Italian, none provide an authoritative account of his work, largely due to language barriers. This English-language collection fills that gap, offering a comprehensive and accessible exploration of Sorrentino's remarkable career.

The majority of the chapters included in this collection are written by renowned scholars and experts in the field. Their insights and perspectives provide a deep understanding of Sorrentino's films and their cultural significance. The book is organized into three sections, each focusing on different aspects of Sorrentino's work. The first section explores his early films, including The Family, This Must Be the Place, and The Consequences, which laid the foundation for his distinctive style and themes. The second section examines his later films, such as The Great Beauty, Loro, and The Hand of God, which further developed his artistic vision and earned him international recognition. The third section explores Sorrentino's television series, including The Young Pope and The Pope, and their impact on the medium.

In conclusion, this collection is a significant contribution to the existing literature on Paolo Sorrentino. It offers new perspectives and insights into his artistic journey, challenging established assumptions and interpretations. International contributors from diverse backgrounds provide original interpretations of his work, exploring his recurring themes and addressing important contemporary issues. The book's comprehensive coverage of Sorrentino's films, television series, and artistic practices makes it an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and enthusiasts of Italian cinema.

Dimension: 244 x 170 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789383966
Edition number: New ed