# The Maciste Films of Italian Silent Cinema - Hardcover

by **Jacqueline Reich** (Author)

Italian film star Bartolomeo Pagano's "Maciste" played a key role in his nation's narratives of identity during World War I and after. Jacqueline Reich traces the racial, class, and national transformations undergone by this Italian strongman from African slave in _Cabiria_ (1914), his first film, to bourgeois gentleman, to Alpine soldier of the Great War, to colonial officer in Italy's African adventures. Reich reveals Maciste as a figure who both reflected classical ideals of masculine beauty and virility (later taken up by Mussolini and used for political purposes) and embodied the model Italian citizen. The 12 films at the center of the book, recently restored and newly accessible to a wider public, together with relevant extra-cinematic materials, provide a rich resource for understanding the spread of discourses on masculinity, and national and racial identities during a turbulent period in Italian history. The volume includes an illustrated appendix documenting the restoration and preservation of these cinematic treasures.

### Author Biography

Jacqueline Reich is Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University. She is author of _Beyond the Latin Lover_ (IUP, 2004) and _Re-Viewing Fascism_ (IUP, 2002).

**Number of Pages:** 432

**Dimensions:** 1.3 x 9.2 x 6.2 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** October 19, 2015

## Details

- **Price:** 91.8 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 91.80 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Maciste Films of Italian Silent Cinema - Hardcover

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