Toxic Genre - The Iraq War Films by Martin Barker

65 in stock

214mm x 134mm x 12mm

Pages: 216

Over the last five years, a cycle of films has emerged addressing the ongoing Iraq conflict. Some became well-known and one of them, The Hurt Locker, won a string of Oscars. But many others disappeared into obscurity. What is it about these films that led Variety to dub them a toxic genre?

Martin Barker analyses the production and reception of these recent Iraq war films. Among the issues he examines are the borrowing of soldiersGÇÖ YouTube styles of self-representation to generate an GÇÿauthenticGÇÖ Iraq experience, and how they take refuge in GÇÿapoliticalGÇÖ post-traumatic stress disorder. Barker also looks afresh at some classic issues in film theory: the problems of accounting for film GÇÿfailuresGÇÖ, the shaping role of production systems, the significance of genre-naming and the impact of that toxic label.

A Toxic Genre is fascinating reading for film studies students and anyone interested in cinemas portrayal of modern warfare.