Refocus: the Films of Mary Harron

Mary Harron's diverse career includes cult films like I Shot Andy Warhol, American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page, as well as a range of network and cable television episodes. This is the first book to examine an overlooked filmmaker in relation to feminist cinema. It discusses the dialectical dynamics within her wide-ranging body of work, and it argues that Harron's work has a distinguishing approach to stylistic and aesthetic choices prompted by cultural contexts, controversial subject matter and production limitations. Each chapter provides an in-depth study on Harron's creative approaches to film and television production, with chapters offering close readings of each of her 5 narrative features, and her work in television and promotional film. With scholarly approaches from the fields of cinema, television, gender, fashion, death and celebrity studies, this is a long-awaited introduction to a groundbreaking figure in contemporary cinema. Kyle Barrett is a Lecturer and filmmaker in Screen and Media Studies at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.