Bloomsbury
Academic
June
2023
Paperback
Illustrations,
26 bw images
ISBN:
9781350194489
RRP:
£28.99
Review by Adrian Smith
Shocking Cinema of the 70s was
a collection of essays originally published in 2002, and the intention here was
to republish those alongside some new chapters. However, the field has changed so
much in the following twenty years that instead we get an entirely new
collection of essays covering a wide range of fascinating and important topics
related to this influential, shocking decade.
The book tackles films that
have been considered controversial, or that dealt with difficult subject matters.
Whereas the first volume primarily covered horror, which is still represented
here, this new collection also includes chapters on Japanese ‘Pinky Violence’
films, rape-revenge TV films, women in prison, films about the Manson Family
and the hardcore ‘roughie’, porn films with a focus on S&M, kidnapping and
sexual abuse. There is also a broader international approach, with chapters on
Polish auteur Walerian Borowczyk and an in-depth examination of
‘Canuxploitation’, the exploitation cinema of Canada which was in part funded
by taxpayers, of whom David Cronenberg was perhaps its most high-profile filmmaker.
It is not only the films
which caused a stir amongst more conservative audiences which are included here:
Death Wish (Michael Winner, 1974) and Dirty Harry (Don Siegel,
1971) both came across to some liberals as celebrating a form of vigilantism
and outraged the left-wing, and whilst we may appreciate those films now as
classics of the decade, it is fascinating to consider their initial reception.
The book also looks at the murderous child, such as Jodie Foster’s character in
The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane (Nicholas Gesner, 1976), who
kill adults because it’s fun; it’s play. Still as disturbing a concept today as
it was in the 1970s.
Shocking Cinema of the 70s offers
a range of opinion and insight on films which caused public outcry, upset the
critics, or troubled governments. Whereas some of these films, looked at almost
fifty years later, might make that seem like an overreaction, others might
still make for uncomfortable viewing today. This collection enables us to
understand what a ‘Shocking’ film is, and what there still is to learn from
them. Highly recommended.
You can order Shocking
Cinema of the 70s from Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/shocking-cinema-of-the-70s-9781350194489/