O'Brien eloquently considers a wide range of films and critical practices.
Critical Inquiry
Adam O'Brien's Film and the Natural Environment is an essential contribution to the burgeoning field of ecomedia studies. It provides an accessible and comprehensive exploration of films that address environmental concerns from around the world. The focus on global film culture and on films that ... Read morewould not immediately be recognised as `environmental' is a particular strength of this book. The fact that the book so fluently synergises theory with case study examples makes it essential reading for anyone interested in the field.
Pietari Kaapa, University of Warwick In this original and lucidly written study, Adam O'Brien shows us how to think environmentally about film theory, history and criticism. The book takes in a wide range of films, both geographically and historically, through insightful close readings of often overlooked formal and aesthetic features. It explores the ways in which narrative and character are shaped by, and interact with, the environment in which a film is located, as well as the specific use of landscape and setting in genres such as film noir and in a variety of national cinemas, including Japan. By viewing fictional films as embedded in the natural environment, this is a fresh and innovative contribution to film studies.
David Ingram, Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at Brunel University, UK, and author of Green Screen: Environmentalism and Hollywood Cinema (2004) Show Less