ABSTRACT
This volume is part of the recent interest in the study of religion and popular media culture (cinema in particular), but it strongly differs from most of this work in this maturing discipline. Contrary to most other edited volumes and monographs on film and religion, Moralizing Cinema will not focus upon films (cf. the representation of biblical figures, religious themes in films, the fidelity question in movies), but rather look beyond the film text, content or aesthetics, by concentrating on the cinema-related actions, strategies and policies developed by the Catholic Church and Catholic organizations in order to influence cinema. Whereas the key role of Catholics in cinema has been well studied in the USA (cf. literature on the Legion of Decency and on the Catholic influenced Production Code Administration), the issue remains unexplored for other parts of the world. The book includes case studies on Argentina, Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, and the USA.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|65 pages
Policies
chapter 1|16 pages
Resisting the Lure of the Modern World
chapter 2|14 pages
The Roman Catholic Church, Cinema and the “Culture of Dialogue”
chapter 4|16 pages
Catholicism and Mexican Cinema
part II|52 pages
Leaders
chapter 6|14 pages
An Alternative Way of Moralizing Cinema
chapter 7|21 pages
A Triple Alliance for a Catholic Neorealism
part III|51 pages
Technology and Production
chapter 8|21 pages
A Catholic Voice in Talking Pictures
chapter 9|15 pages
Pius XII as Actor and Subject
chapter 10|13 pages
The Failed Project of a Catholic Neorealism
part IV|50 pages
Censorship and Control
chapter 12|18 pages
A Case of Entente Cordiale between State and Church
chapter 13|16 pages
The ‘Ideal Film'
part V|49 pages
Exhibition and Cinema-Going Experiences