Disaster Cinema in Historical Perspective

Holding a PhD from the University of Tübingen, Germany, Nikita Mathias's main research interests lie within the fields of art history, media studies, aesthetics, and literary studies. Besides his academic career, he has worked as a journalist and in various positions in the cultural sector. In his current occupation, he holds the position of Senior Concept Developer at the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, which involves creating meaningful and engaging art experiences as well as publications and research.

"Disaster Cinema in Historical Perspective: Mediations of the Sublime is a genuine and original contribution to the fields of art history and cinema studies as well as to discussions on the concept of the sublime in the field of aesthetics. It is well-organized, well-informed, and lucidly written and draws on an impressive body of empirical and theoretical materials. As importantly, it is critical and nuanced in its claims and assertions, leaving ample room for discussion and counter-argument." - Ina Blom, University of Chicago, University of Oslo

• I. Introduction Theories of the Sublime: Edmund Burke & Immanuel Kant The Archeology and Iconography of the Sublime Analyzing Disaster Movies The Disaster Movie Genre and the Film Selection Works Cited II. Starting Points Dutch Landscapes of the North Transforming the Sublime. From Rhetoric to Experiencing Nature Picturesque Views Lisbon Shock Waves Heroic Geology Commodifying Nature. Earth Economics & Tourism Works Cited III. The Iconography of the Sublime Virtual Windows. Claude Joseph Vernet at the Academy Salon Remarkable Views. Caspar Wolf in the Alps Volcano Montages: Derby, Valenciennes, Wutky, Volaire, Briullov Works Cited IV. Mediating the Sublime Between Art Academy and Entertainment Culture: Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg Apocalypse Here-and-Now. John Martin 'The Viewer Feels as Though His Eyelids Had Been Cut Off'. Visiting the Panorama Panoramic Landscapes Through the Telescope: The Hudson River School Nature's Forces in Motion: The Diorama Works Cited V. Cinema - A Medium of the Sublime? Photographic Images in Motion Is the Sublime a Somatic Experience? Montage Camera Sound and Multimedia Cinema Works Cited VI. Disaster Cinema. A Historical Overview Disaster Films Between Documentary and Special Effects Newsreel Early Epics and Travel Genres Disaster Melodramas Disaster Diversity: the 1950s and 1960s 'Disaster Movies' and Nuclear Wastelands Digitally Painted Disasters Works Cited VII. The Sublime in Disaster Cinema Patterns of Violence, or, The Sublime as Somatic Excess 1. Mise en images 2. Montage 3. Camera Movement 4. Sound Points of Disinterest: Subjectivity Beyond Imagination: Transcendence 1. Chasing Phantoms. The Disaster-Time-Image 2. Last Line of Defense. Ethics 3. 'Hear God Howl' - Religion and Spirituality Modality, or, The Pleasure of the Sublime Border Conflicts. Presentability 'It Is Gonna Send Us Back to the Stone Age!' - The Geological Sublime Neighbor Relations: The Sublime and the Ridiculous What Lies Ahead? Hyperobjects and the Sublime Works Cited VIII. Bibliography IX. Index