Shadow of Prohibition

Author: Jin Xiaofei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: The films selected in this book are all classics that were bold in their portrayal of sex, violence, politics, or religion, daring to challenge traditional taboos, and possessed unique creativity and profound themes. They may not be perfect, but in their time, they held forward-looking significance and can be considered works of explosive energy, having stirred up significant controversies. The book follows the timeline of film history, organized by themes, and introduces classic films from various periods that were controversial yet held high artistic and intellectual value. The selection of films strives to balance nationality, era, genre, and classic value, allowing readers to perceive the trajectory of film development from one perspective. The second characteristic of the film selection is that the included films all held forward-looking significance in their time and stirred up controversies, both major and minor. Due to their unconventional nature and willingness to challenge traditional taboos, many of them faced censorship. For these non-mainstream art films, ordinary viewers today may either have no opportunity to watch them or lack familiarity with their background information. The purpose of this book is to construct a special cinema, screening controversial films that are rarely seen, and providing an effective guide for appreciating these films. If this book achieves this goal, it will be the author's greatest satisfaction.