Women Directors and Their Films

by Mary G. Hurd

Overview

Although women may have found greater film success in the areas of screenwriting, editing, design, and producing, there have been many women whose contributions as directors have been quite significant. In this guide to their careers and films, author Mary Hurd profiles the most noteworthy—from Barbara Kopple and her classic work in the documentary form, to Nora Ephron's insightful retellings of Hollywood's classic stories, to Sophia Coppola's current success in Hollywood. Women Directors and Their Films fills an important gap in the literature on the subject, offering a combination of biographical material and film analysis that effectively summarizes and encapsulates the life's work of these very different, very talented women.

The selection includes women of the studio age (Ida Lupino, Dorothy Arzner), contemporary mainstream directors (Amy Heckerling, Nora Ephron), independents (Mary Harron, Nancy Savoca), documentarians (Barbara Kopple), experimental filmmakers (Maya Deren), and an assortment of acclaimed international filmmakers (Jane Campion, Agnes Varda). Profiles of the directors contain both biographical and critical segments. The first, biographical section provides a basic outline of the subject's life and career; the second offers a discussion of the director's films, featuring comments on the narrative, themes, visual techniques and style, and possible critical approaches to the work. Each chapter also includes a complete filmography and brief bibliography.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275985783
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/30/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Mary G. Hurd is Director of Film Studies at East Tennessee State University. She has been a contributor to major reference works from Oxford University Press and Salem Press.

Table of Contents

Introduction     vii
Pioneers     1
Dorothy Arzner     2
Ida Lupino     7
The Mainstream     14
Nora Ephron     15
Nancy Meyers     20
Amy Heckerling     22
Martha Coolidge     28
Kathryn Bigelow     40
Mimi Leder     47
Independents, Experiments, Documentaries     52
Maya Deren     53
Lizzie Borden     59
Mary Harron     63
Julie Dash     66
Nancy Savoca     71
Allison Anders     74
Penelope Spheeris     78
Barbara Kopple     83
International     93
Gillian Armstrong     93
Jane Campion     101
Leni Riefenstahl     112
Agnes Varda     119
Lina Wertmuller     126
Newcomers     130
Sofia Coppola     130
Kimberly Peirce     133
Patty Jenkins     135
Kasi Lemmons     136
Actresses Turned Directors     139
Anjelica Huston     139
Penny Marshall     141
Barbra Streisand     146
Elaine May     148
Conclusion     153
Filmography     155
Bibliography     161
Index     167

Editorial Reviews

Hurd offers a representative survey of 29 women who became directors in a film industry (both in the US and abroad) that never welcomes women directors. She begins with Dorothy Arzner, who transitioned from silents to talkies and directed 17 Hollywood films, and Ida Lupino, an accomplished actor who directed films noirs and other film genres along with many television shows from 1949 to 1966. Toward the end of the 20th century, Hollywood was finally accepting women directors for mainstream films, and in this era Hurd discusses Nora Ephron, Kathryn Bigelow, Mimi Lederer, and others. In looking at independent, experimental, and documentary film, Hurd lists experimenter Maya Deren, Mary Harron and her wonderfully bizarre films, and documentarian Barbara Kopple. A chapter on international film highlights Jane Campion, Agnes Varda, Leni Riefenstahl and her beautifully edited Nazi documentaries, and Lina Wertmuller with her satiric comments on masculine ego and its drive for power. A newcomers chapter lists four, including Sofia Coppola, and an actor-turbans-director chapter includes Anjelica Huston, Penny Marshall, Barbra Streisand, and Elaine May. A feminist perspective is evident throughout, and Hurd also analyzes the industry's financial evaluation of the directors….Recommended. All collections; all levels.” —Choice

“Fundementally, this book is about the stories women tell and the ways in which they tell them, which should be of interest to a broad readership. What distinguishes this volume from its predecessors is that it allows the filmic narratives to represent the directors, with a muted critical or scholarly voice. An accurate and concise collection of biographies and plot summaries of each director's major contributions, Women Directors & Their Film is an excellent springboard for the scholar or film enthusiast looking for a point of entry into the works of women filmmakers….The strenght of this collection is the juxtaposition of such a spectrum of filmmakers which provokes the reader to make evocative connections.” —American Book Review

“Women Directors and Their Films will thrill movie buffs and feminists alike. This comprehensive guide, which provides the perfect combination of film analysis and biography, features a wide array of artists—from industry pioneers like Ida Lupino to independent directors like Allison Anders and international filmmakers like Jane Campion. While perusing its pages, you'll no doubt discover a slew of new directors, whose films will add some new much-needed spice to your run-of-the-mill Netflix queue.” —ZINK

“Hurd profiles 29 women film directors, offering biographical information and critical discussion of their works for each. She begins with the pioneering figures of Dorothy Arzner and Ida Lupino. Mainstream figures such as Nora Ephron, Amy Heckerling, and Martha Coolidge are discussed next, followed by independent, experimental, and documentary film directors, including Lizzie Borden, Allison Anders, Penelope Spheeris, and Barbara Kopple. Non-American directors (including Leni Riefenstahl), emerging directors, and actresses turbaned directors are examined in the final chapters.” —Reference & Research Book News

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