[W]onderfully informative … Langford’s descriptions of the films under discussion are evocative throughout, and the flexibility of her approach to allegory allows for the cohabitation of vastly different films in each chapter, as well as the capacity to adopt distinct approaches for reading films by the same director.
Affirmations of the Modern
This stimulating study views and analyzes ... Read morethe allegorical features of modern Iranian cinema not just as a protective strategy, a way to evade censorship, but as an integral part of the poetics of Iran’s vibrant cinematic art—a way to bring out the ineffable in a society in which art, especially poetry, has always had ambiguous layers of meaning … Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, researchers, faculty.
CHOICE
Lovers of Iranian films should be grateful to Michelle Langford for her fascinating book in which she treats a wide range of subjects, that form the core of modern Persian society such as art and poetry, male female relationships, woman’s emancipation, ambiguity and censorship, and aesthetics and symbolism. With a smooth pen, attractive style, and superior analyses, she takes the reader through these topics by examining several films by acclaimed Iranian film directors.
Asghar Seyed-Gohrab, Associate Professor of Persian, Leiden University, Netherlands
‘The book beautifully demonstrates the allegorical aesthetics of Iranian cinema over a range of genres and time periods, creating an effective dialogue with the existing scholarship on the poetics of Iranian cinema.’
Maryam Ghorbankarimi, Lecturer in Film Practice, Lancaster University, UK
‘Clear, thoughtful, and accessible, Langford’s book is by far the most incisive close reading of some of Iranian cinema’s most iconic works from the pre- and post-revolution periods. The pages crackle with brilliance, revealing piece by piece the creativity and ingenuity of this internationally acclaimed film industry. A must read.'
Negar Mottahedeh, Professor, Program in Literature, Duke University, USA
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