Women & New Hollywood: Gender, Creative Labor & 1970s American Cinema

The 1970s was a great moment for American film, but the auteurist discourse has obscured the important creative roles women played. Women and New Hollywood revises our understanding of this era by examining the contributions of women as directors, screenwriters, editors, actors, producers, and critics. It offers exciting alternatives to the auteurist model and new ways of appreciating the themes and aesthetics of 1970s American film.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 230 pages
Publication date: 30 May 2023
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

The 1970s has often been celebrated as a remarkable era for American cinema, with a generation of "New Hollywood" directors like Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Robert Altman presenting unique visions of what movies could be. However, the auteurist discourse that elevates these directors as the sole authors of their films has overshadowed the significant creative contributions of women in the 1970s American film industry.

Women and New Hollywood seeks to revise our understanding of this pivotal period by examining the contributions of women not only as directors but also as screenwriters, editors, actors, producers, and critics. This collection features essays on film history, film texts, and the decades of film theory and criticism, showcasing the rich and diverse cinematic products of women's creative labor and the formidable barriers they faced. It explores both women working within and beyond the Hollywood film industry, reimagining New Hollywood by engaging in dialogue with other American cinemas of the 1970s. By valuing the diverse forms of creative labor involved in film production, this collection presents exciting alternatives to the auteurist model and offers new ways of appreciating the themes and aesthetics of 1970s American cinema.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978821798