LukCsian Film Theory and Cinema

Lukcsian film theory and cinema explores Georg Lukcs writings on film. The Hungarian Marxist critic Georg Lukcs is primarily known as a literary theorist, but he also wrote extensively on the cinema. These writings have remained little known in the English-speaking world because the great majority of them have never actually been translated into English until now. Aitken has gathered together the most important essays and the translations appear here, often for the first time. This book thus makes a decisive contribution to understandings of Lukcs within the field of film studies, and, in doing so, also challenges many existing preconceptions concerning his theoretical position. For example, whilst Lukcs literary theory is well known for its repudiation of naturalism, in his writings on film Lukcs appears to advance a theory and practice of film that can best be described as naturalist. Lukcsian film theory and cinema is divided into two parts. In part one, Lukcs writings on film are explored, and placed within relevant historical and intellectual contexts, whilst part two consists of the essays themselves. This book will be of considerable interest to scholars and students working within the fields of film studies, literary studies, intellectual history, media and cultural studies. It is also intended to be the final volume in a trilogy of works on cinematic realism, which includes the authors earlier European film theory and cinema (2001), and Realist film theory and cinema (2006). -- .