Book DescriptionThe warlocks and ghosts of fantasy film haunt our popular culture, but the genre has too long been ignored by critics This comprehensive critical survey of fantasy cinema demonstrates that the fantasy genre amounts to more than escapism Through a meticulously researched analysis of over a century of fantasy picturesfrom the оввэя seminal work of Georges Méliès to Peter Jacksons recent tours of Middleearththe work identifies narrative strategies and their recurring components and studies patterns of challenge and return, setting and character First addressing the difficult task of defining the genre, the work examines fantasy as a cultural force in both film and literature and explores its relation to science fiction, horror, and fairy tales Fantasys development is traced from the first days of film, with emphasis on how the evolving genre reflected such events as economic depression and war Also considered is fantasys expression of politics, as either the subject of satire or fuel for the fires of propaganda Discussion ventures into the subgenres, from stories of invented lands inhabited by fantastic creatures to magical adventures set in the familiar world, and addresses clashes between fantasy and faith, such as the religious opposition to the Harry Potter phenomenon From the money-making classics to little-known arthouse films, this richly illustrated work covers every aspect of fantasy film.  Издание 19982005 г 304 стр ISBN 0786423242.