Often dismissed as escapist tales of sword and sorcery or childish
fairytales, fantasy is one of the fundamental impulses in filmmaking, a
source of some of the most vivid and memorable films ever made. This
volume covers the major genres, stylistic approaches, and exponents of
cinematic fantasy, from Georges Méliès, Walt Disney, and Andrei
Tarkovsky to such contemporary fantasists as Terry Gilliam and Peter
Jackson, and focuses on fantasy's social function and interpretations.
Considering the popular and the experimental, subversive desires and
reactionary dreams, this book is an engaging introduction to one of
cinema's vital energies.