Download or read book Realism of the Senses in World Cinema written by Tiago De Luca and published by I.B. Tauris. This book was released on 2013-12-05 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last decade, a realist tendency has made its mark on the world cinema map. What are its main aesthetic and political characteristics? How does it relate to the realist canon and world cinema history? What are the different facets of this phenomenon as expressed in diverse cinemas across the globe? Drawing on foundational realist theories and recent takes on the body and the senses, this illuminating book aims to provide in-depth answers to these questions by examining the fascinating work of Carlos Reygadas (Mexico), Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan) and Gus Van Sant (US), including award-winning films such "Japon", "Vive l'amour" and "Elephant". In their common allegiance to the long take, these are cinemas characterised by a sensory mode of address based on the protracted inspection of physical reality. Their hyperbolic focus on material phenomena, de Luca argues, translates into phenomenological film experiences that provide an antidote to a world saturated by simulation processes. The book demonstrates how these cinemas politically affirm new ways of being in the world.