Choice Review
This latest Greenwood omnibus work reviews how race has been depicted in American film. Race is defined as the portrayal of African Americans, Arabs, Asians, Jews, Latinos, and Native Americans as a counter to whiteness and as opposed to ethnicity (e.g., Irish). Edited by film-studies scholars Bernardi (San Francisco State Univ.) and Green (Arizona State Univ.), the volume has 90-plus contributors who have authored its 337 entries. Arranged alphabetically, these signed essays analyze specific films (e.g., Alien, The Help, Song of the South, West Side Story, Scarface) and the careers of specific directors (Steven Spielberg, John Ford, Robert Rodriquez, etc.) and actors (Delores del Rio, Sidney Poitier, Cheech and Chong, etc.). There are also lengthier expositions on genres and subjects, such as interracial buddy films, blackface (also redface and yellowface), the "noble native" figure, white savior films, the role of Jewish Americans in American cinema, and Blaxploitation films. Each essay includes useful see also cross-references and sections headed "further viewing" (films to see) and "further readings" (articles and books to consult). Various indexes help users navigate the three volumes and additional recommended readings. The essays are consistently readable, and the spectrum of film history covered is impressive. Considering the current political climate and racial tensions that divide the US, the set seems an apropos addition to most library collections. North American filmmakers are making progress but, as these essays demonstrate, they still have a long ways to go. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All libraries. All levels. --Joe Arky Badics, Eastern Michigan University