Hal Hartley

137 Pages·2011·1.31 MB·English

by  Mark L. Berrettini

C O N T E M P O R A R Y F I L M D I R E C T O R S
Hal Hartley
Mark L. Berrettini
Hal Hartley
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Contemporary Film Directors
Edited by James Naremore
The Contemporary Film Directors series provides concise,
well-written introductions to directors from around the
world and from every level of the film industry. Its chief
aims are to broaden our awareness of important artists,
to give serious critical attention to their work, and to illus-
trate the variety and vitality of contemporary cinema. Con-
tributors to the series include an array of internationally
respected critics and academics. Each volume contains
an incisive critical commentary, an informative interview
with the director, and a detailed filmography.
A list of books in the series appears
at the end of this book.
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Hal Hartley
Mark L. Berrettini
University oF illinois Press
UrBaNa, ChICago, aND SprINgFIELD
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Frontispiece: Hal Hartley, courtesy of Zero Fiction Film /
the Kobal Collection.
© 2011 by Mark L. Berrettini
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 c p 5 4 3 2 1
∞ This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Berrettini, Mark L., 1972–
Hal Hartley / Mark L. Berrettini.
p. cm. — (Contemporary film directors)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Includes filmography.
ISBN-13: 978-0-252-03595-1 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-252-03595-X (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-252-07791–3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-252-07791-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Hartley, Hal, 1959—Criticism and interpretation. I. Title.
PN1998.3.H3695B48 2011
791.4302'33092—dc22 [B] 2010040214
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For Margaret Walsh
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Contents
Acknowledgments | xi
Efficiency, Estrangement, and Antirealism:
The Films of Hal Hartley | 1
Introduction 1
Biography 5
Families and Bombs: The Long Island Films 8
The Unbelievable Truth 8
Trust 15
Simple Men 23
Obscenity and Espionage;
or, “The Long Island Era Is Done” 34
Amateur 34
Henry Fool 41
Fay Grim 49
The Apocalypse, Digitized 57
The Book of Life 57
Conclusion 68
Interviews with Hal Hartley | 71
Filmography | 95
Bibliography | 109
Index | 119
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