Deleuze, Cinema and National Identity

Deleuze, Cinema and National Identity challenges the traditional use of Deleuze’s philosophy to examine European art cinema. It explores how Deleuze can be used to analyse national identity across a range of different cinemas. Focusing on narrative time it combines a Deleuzean approach with a vast range of non-traditional material. The films discussed are contemporary and popular (either financial or cult successes), and include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Terminator 3, Memento, Saving Private Ryan, Run Lola Run, Sliding Doors, Chaos and Peppermint Candy. Each film is examined in light of a major historical event - including 9/11, German reunification, and the Asian economic crisis - and the impact it has had on individual nations. This cross-cultural approach illustrates how Deleuze’s work can enhance our understanding of the construction of national identity. It also enables a critique of Deleuze’s conclusions by examining his work in a variety of national contexts. The book significantly broadens the field of work on Deleuze and cinema. It places equal emphasis on understanding mainstream North American genre films, American independent and European art films. It also examines Asian thrillers, gangster and art films in the light of Deleuze’s work on time. With Asian films increasingly crossing over into western markets, this is a timely addition to the expanding body of work on Deleuze and film. Key Features* The first sustained analysis of Deleuze and national identity, bringing together film theory and film history* Examines how narrative time is used to construct national identity across a range of different cinemas, including Britain, Germany, North America, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Italy and Poland* Uses Deleuze in conjunction with a number of different types of recent film, from Hollywood blockbusters to Asian gangster movies.

David Martin-Jones is Professor of Film Studies at the University of Glasgow