Leo Braudy's books cover topics spanning literature, film, and cultural studies, often with an eye toward understanding the impact of historical context on artistic form and social construction. His books have been nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and have been included among the Los Angeles Times' "Best of the Best Books of the Year" and the New York Times' "Outstanding Books of the Year." He is best known for two recent books on contemporary preoccupations:
The Frenzy of Renown: Fame and its History (Oxford, 1986); and
From Chivalry to Terrorism: War and the Changing Nature of Masculinity (Knopf, 2003).Both books address changing cultural definitions and fascinations by analyzing historical figures and archetypes to unpack what they tell us about the periods in which they emerge.
Along with Marshall Cohen, he co-edits the widely-used anthology
Film Theory and Criticism (Oxford, 7th ed. 2008).
His most recent book,
On the Waterfront (British Film Institute, 2006), is a study of the film's production, the post-war values it reflects, and the controversy surrounding Elia Kazan's testimony before the House Unamerican Activities Committee.
Film and Television Appearances
Braudy frequently appears as a commentator on popular culture, cultural history, and films on a variety of television shows, including
Crossfire,
World of Wonder,
The Maria Shriver Show, and
The South Bank Show. A transcript of his interview with Bill Moyers on Moyers's PBS series appeared in
The World of Ideas (Doubleday, 1990). He has acted in John Waters'
Polyester (1981), and Robert Kramer's underground classic
Ice (1970).
Other film appearances include:
- Facing the Past (2005)...Braudy is interviewed in this featurette included in the DVD of Elia Kazan's 1957 film A Face in the Crowd.
- Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy (2004)...This feature-length documentary is included with the 4-Disc Star Wars Trilogy DVD set.
- Mayor of the Sunset Strip (2003)...Braudy comments as an authority on fame in this documentary about the rise and fall of disc jockey Rodney Bingenheimer.
- Our Infatuation with Fame: Leo Braudy (1990)...In this interview, Bill Moyers and Leo Braudy discuss the pleasures and perils of celebrity.