Contemporary Directors' Cinema

Contemporary Directors' Cinema refreshes the argument about the role of the director through the practice of evaluative criticism. The book identifies what makes nine recent films successful achievements by their directors and collaborators.
Each chapter gives some context for the director's work, but the central argument focuses on the style, form and themes of each film, while explicating aspects of point of view and tone. Contemporary Directors' Cinema argues that in each of its nine case studies the director's work is central to the achievement of economy, unity, eloquence, subtlety, depth, vigour, vividness and intensity. By offering critical readings of nine films from mainstream film culture, Contemporary Directors' Cinema demonstrates that cinema remains vital as a directors' medium.
The films discussed in this book are: Pain and Glory (2019); Shoplifters (2018); Parasite (2019); The White Ribbon (2009); Les Chansons d'amour (2007); The Bling Ring (2013); The Great Beauty (2013); Leviathan (2014); and Winter Sleep (2014).

Jacob Leigh teaches Film Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London. UK. He teaches the work of a wide range of filmmakers, including Howard Hawks, Eric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock, George Cukor, F.W. Murnau, John Ford, Max Ophuls, Carl Dreyer, Yasujiro Ozu and Roberto Rossellini. His research is focussed on the following areas: film interpretation, film style, film storytelling and film aesthetics. He wrote his PhD and first book on realism and politics in Ken Loach's films and since then he has written about Terrence Malick, Eric Rohmer and Claude Chabrol.