The Law of the Looking Glass: Cinema in Poland, 1896-1939The Law of the Looking Glass: Cinema in Poland, 1896–1939 reveals the complex relationship between nationhood, national language, and national cinema in Europe before World War II. Author Sheila Skaff describes how the major issues facing the region before World War I, from the relatively slow pace of modernization to the desire for national sovereignty, shaped local practices in film production, exhibition, and criticism. She goes on to analyze local film production, practices of spectatorship in large cities and small towns, clashes over language choice in intertitles, and controversy surrounding the first synchronized sound experiments before World War I. Skaff depicts the creation of a national film industry in the newly independent country, the golden years of the silent cinema, the transition from silent to sound film — and debates in the press over this transition — as well as the first Polish and Yiddish “talkies.” She places particular importance on conflicts in majority-minority relations in the region and the types of collaboration that led to important films such as The Dybbuk and The Ghosts. The Law of the Looking Glass: Cinema in Poland, 1896–1939 is the first comprehensive history of the country’s film industry before World War II. This history is characterized by alternating periods of multilingual, multiethnic production, on the one hand, and rejection of such inclusiveness, on the other. Through it all, however, runs a single unifying thread: an appreciation for visual imagery. |
Contents
introduction | 1 |
1 The First Films 18961908 | 13 |
2 The Emergence of a Competitive Industry190818 | 37 |
3 From National Cinema to Cinemain the NationState 191823 | 63 |
4 The Golden Years of Silent Cinema192329 | 79 |
5 The Transition from Silentto Sound Film 192930 | 103 |
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According actors adaptations Aleksander American areas artistic associated audiences became Bydgoszcz called camera Catholic cinema owners cities claims companies considered create critics cultural demonstrations directed director distribution documentary domestic early educational Empire established example exhibition exhibitors expressed Film film industry filmmakers Filmowe filmu financial first foreign German Hertz images important independence interest intertitles Irzykowski Italy Jerzy Zarzycki Jewish Józef Kino Kraków L’viv lands language less live look major Michał Waszyński motion picture theaters moved movement nationalist novel offered opened partitioned percent period play Poland Polish political Polski polskiego popular problems production region Russian scenes screen Sfinks short silent silent film situation social sound film Stanisław stars Street studio successful theater tion took towns transition turn University Warsaw World writes Yiddish young