Defining Cinema

Arriving in cinema when synchronized sound had just been adopted, director Rouben Mamoulian demonstrated key early methods for making sound aid storytelling, for giving films a crisper sense of rhythm, for creating musicals set in backstage, fairy-tale, and folk environments, for providing intricate and arresting colour palettes, and for rendering sexual content more palpable under industry censorship. Mamoulian also wrote many articles throughout his lifetime and gave interviews and lectures where he advanced his complex ideas about the potentials of various artforms, including cinema. In addition, he left an extensive paper record of his work, including heavily annotated scripts for each of the sixteen films he directed. Mamoulian also enjoyed major success on the stage. He directed the original landmark productions of Porgy, Porgy and Bess, Oklahoma!, and Carousel, and his efforts in this domain informed his film work. Defining Cinema takes a holistic look at Mamoulian's oeuvre by