Roman Passions

In what may be the most in-depth study yet published of a film star's body of work, Susan Hayward charts the career of Simone Signoret, one of the great Frech actresses of the 20th Century.Signoret- who won an Oscar in 1960 for her performance in Room at the Top- was a key figure in French cinema for 40 years. But it is not so much her longevity that impresses, as it is the quality of work she produced as her career progressed. She started out as a stunningly beautiful woman, winning major international awards five times for her roles, and yet was only moderately in demand during those years. From the 1960s onwards, when her looks began to decline significantly, Signoret was in greater demand, and produced most of her output. She insisted on playing roles consonant with her real age, and often chose to play roles that portrayed wher as even more ugly than she had become.Simore Signoret: The Star as Cultural Sign is a remarkable achievement, a labor of love from one of the world's leading scholars of French cinema.

Autorentext

Ray Laurence is Professor of Ancient History at Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia). He has been instrumental in re-thinking and re-conceptualising key areas of Roman history, including urbanism, roads and communications, as well as childhood and the family. His work engages with other disciplines and seeks to move Roman historical research into new areas, such as the cultural history of shopping.

Inhalt

1: Introduction - Roman Passions 2: Into the World of Roman Pleasure 3: The Emperor's Pleasures 4: The Aesthetics of the City 5: A Little Place in the Country 6: The Roman Body at the Baths 7: Roman Erotics 8: Dining 9: Food and Wine 10: A Great Song and Dance 11: Violence 12: Collectors and Collections 13: Pleasure transforms Roman culture \ Timeline \ Glossary of terms \ Further Reading \ Bibliography \ Index