ReFocus: The Films of Fred Zinnemann
N/A
Call for Papers
ReFocus: The Films of Fred Zinnemann
“Something that concerns me very much is human dignity…or the lack of it.” – F.Z.
Fred Zinnemann, a Jewish immigrant to the United States, whose parents died in the Holocaust, directed over 20 films in a 30-year career, won the Academy Award for Best Director twice (From Here to Eternity, 1953 and A Man for All Seasons, 1966) and steered his performers to Oscars six times (only Woody Allen, Elia Kazan and William Wyler have more). He also directed the screen debuts of several major film stars such as Marlon Brando, Grace Kelly, Shirley Jones and Meryl Streep. Zinnemann’s gritty visual style, influenced by his background in documentaries and Italian neorealism, initiated a new kind of cinematic realism. More importantly, and in contrast to those voices that have denied him the title of auteur, his films do, in fact, present a thematic unity, i.e. existentialism – the idea that the individual defines themselves through their choices, especially when facing adversity. This theme is probably on display the clearest in Eternity and Seasons, but also in High Noon (1952), the latter which has been seen by many as an analogy for the McCarthy era. His examination of one’s internal struggle with conscience and the courageous exercising of it was also extended to several strong-willed female protagonists (Teresa, 1951; The Member of the Wedding, 1952; The Nun’s Story, 1959; The Sundowners, 1960 and Julia, 1977). Of the many ways in which Zinnemann’s characters stand their ground, the most common is struggling against the Nazis (The Seventh Cross, 1944 and Julia and even against 5th columnists in Eyes in the Night, 1942) – not surprising considering what happed to his family. He also shows individual struggles against disabilities (The Men, 1950) and addiction (A Hatful of Rain, 1957). While not known for tackling a wide variety of genres, he did helm studio-assigned comedies (which he hated), adapted Broadway to the widescreen with the most expense musical to that point, Oklahoma! in 1955 (which he felt he had messed up), a political thriller with The Day of the Jackal in 1973 (which seems to turn his views of heroism upside down), and even mixed realism with film noir in Act of Violence (1949). Furthermore, Zinnemann took genres like the western (High Noon) and costume period dramas (A Man for All Seasons) in drastically new visual ways. His unique visual look and powerful thematic motifs cast Zinnemann as a clear bridge between classic and new Hollywood.
We are currently soliciting 200-250 word abstracts for chapters to be included in a collection of essays which will explore the cinematic influence of director Fred Zinnemann. The Films of Fred Zinnemann will be a scholarly volume published in the University of Edinburgh Press’ ReFocus series. The series editors are Robert Singer, Gary D. Rhodes, and Frances Smith. ReFocus features contemporary methodological and theoretical approaches to the interdisciplinary analyses and interpretations of the work of American film directors. Essays may focus on a single film by Zinnemann, a group of films, or themes and topics that pervade his work. The following list of subjects and films are not by any means meant to be exhaustive:
• Zinnemann and existentialism (several films)
• Zinnemann vs. the auteur theory
• the influence of immigrant filmmakers on American cinema
• documentaries, Italian neorealism, and a new Hollywood realism
• Zinnemann and evolving genres (musicals, westerns, noir, thrillers, history dramas, etc.)
• Zinnemann and Mexican cinema (Redes, 1936)
• Zinnemann’s strong-willed heroines (several films, see above)
• Hollywood’s depictions of disabilities and addiction
• McCarthyism and Zinnemann (especially High Noon)
• Zinnemann and postwar trauma in Europe (especially The Search, 1948)
• Zinnemann and his “B” films (Kid Glove Killer and Eyes in the Night, both 1942)
• Queer theory approaches to Zinnemann’s work
• Zinnemann and the Hays Code (especially From Here to Eternity)
• sympathetic villains (Act of Violence, Day of the Jackal, etc.)
• Zinnemann and studio-assigned comedies (Little Mister Jim, 1946 and My Brother
Talks to Horses, 1947)
• Zinnemann and screen adaptations (from both stage and page)
• Zinnemann and transatlanticism
Essays accepted and included in this anthology should be approximately 6,000 to 8,000 words referenced in Chicago endnote style. Note: Acceptance of a proposed abstract does not guarantee the acceptance of the full chapter into the completed volume.
Please attach a short bio and abstract and email by October 20th, 2024, to the editor:
John M. Price, PhD (editor of ReFocus: The Films of William Wyler, 2023)
wylerrefocus24@gmail.com
Dr. John M. Price