ABSTRACT
Sport and film have historically been key components of national cultures and societies. This is the first collection dedicated to examining the intersection of these popular cultural forces within specific national contexts.
Covering films of all types, from Hollywood blockbusters to regional documentaries and newsreels, the book considers how filmic depictions of sport have configured and informed distinctive national cultures, societies and identities. Featuring case studies from 11 national contexts across 6 continents – including North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania – it reveals the common and contrasting approaches that have emerged within sport cinema in differing national contexts.
This is fascinating and important reading for all students and researchers working in film, media, cultural studies or sport, and for broader enthusiasts of both sport and film.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|58 pages
Sport, cinema and national culture in the USA
chapter Chapter 2|16 pages
Esther Williams, Americanness, the aquacade and sex
chapter Chapter 3|16 pages
Multicultural American heroes
chapter Chapter 4|13 pages
Sports film and the reimagining of American popular culture
part II|98 pages
The European experience
chapter Chapter 5|15 pages
Sports films and ‘banal’ nationalism in interwar Belgium
chapter Chapter 8|18 pages
Primo Carnera, propaganda and Mussolini’s international legitimisation
chapter Chapter 9|17 pages
Football, cinema and Spanish nationalism
part III|62 pages
Beyond Hollywood and Europe