The Sixties: 1960-1969 Volume 8

By Paul Monaco

Book Overview

Amid the turbulence of political assassinations, the civil rights struggle, and antiwar protests, American society was experiencing growing affluence and profound cultural change during the 1960s. The film industry gradually redirected its energies, resulting in a distinctive break from traditional business and stylistic practice and emergence of a new "cinema of sensation." Feature films became faster-paced and more graphic, the antihero took his place alongside the classic Hollywood hero, and "downer" films like Midnight Cowboy proved as popular as those with upbeat fare. Paul Monaco gives a sweeping view of this exhilarating decade, ranging from the visceral sensation of Bonnie and Clyde, to the comic-book satire of Dr. Strangelove, to the youthful alienation of The Graduate.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520238044
• ISBN13: 9780520238046
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 359 Pages
• Weight: 1.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.9" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

Good Material Badly Organized

Mr. Monaco does a good job explaining the changes that American film went through in the Sixties. However, although I agree with a lot of what he says, the organization of the material in this book baffles me.He has a chapter on landmark films of the Sixties. There is a still from Psycho on the front of the book, but he discusses Psycho AFTER he has discussed landmark Sixties films from David and Lisa to Easy Rider. He discusses The Wild Bunch before he discusses Bonnie and Clyde. And that is just one chapter. Elsewhere, he discusses the TV broadcast of the Oscar ceremony in a different chapter than he discusses the films that won the Oscar. I can't see the logic in that.He does a good job in detailing the contribution of editors, cinematographers and composers to changing American film in the Sixties, but there is no comparable section on directors. Another glaring omission is when he talks about male stars who became prominent in the decade, and never mentions Clint Eastwood. (The only time the spaghetti westerns are mentioned is when he discusses changes in sound technology.)Again, Monaco's conclusions and judgments are fair and on the money, but the organization of this book drives me nuts.