Dissertation Information for Eldad J. Pardo NAME: - Eldad J. Pardo
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- History
SCHOOL:
- University of California, Los Angeles (USA) (1999)
ADVISORS: - Stanford Shaw
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - Michael Morony - David C. Ropoport
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: It's all in the movies: Feature films and the Islamic Revolution in Iran, 1953--1978
Abstract: Feature films produced in Iran over the years 1953-78 are examined with the primary goal of using them as an indicator of changes in Iranian society as it drifted towards the Islamic Revolution. It is assumed that the contents of feature films reflect the expectations and emotions of the audience.
There are four goals. The first is to learn more about the processes that led to the Islamic Revolution by studying movies. The second is to explore whether a study of movies can become a tool for tracing undercurrents of changes in the public mood. The third is to use films as an aid for political prediction especially of revolutions and violent conflagrations. The fourth goal is to contribute to the body of knowledge about Iranian cinema.
In order to achieve these goals, two complementary methods are used. The first attempts to cover the entire body of feature films released in Iran over the years 1953-1978. Following the trends of content variables, it draws conclusions as to the state of Iranian society. The second is applied to eight perceptive films that are analyzed individually focusing on cultural, political, and cinematic contexts. The two methods aim at the intuitive people who make films. One examines the films as products made by business people who lead an important industry. The other analyses particular films in depth as works of art that carry a message rich in meaning, intuitions and perceptions.
The project is a product of its time: conceived and researched in the last years of the twentieth century, it looks back at a century during which many dramatic events caught observers by surprise leading to the death and suffering of millions of families and individuals of all ages. The project neither endorses nor rejects the view that such dramatic events are theoretically predictable. Instead, it provides an effective tool for monitoring changes in public mood where information is otherwise difficult to obtain. While doing so, it sheds new light on the twists and turns that led to the Islamic Revolution.
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MPACT Scores for Eldad J. Pardo A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-09-22 11:53:09
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