Afterimage

Afterimage: The Indelible Catholic Imagination of Six American Filmmakers by Richard A Blake, 252 pages

In this book, Blake explores the impact of a Catholic upbringing on the films of six very different directors: Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Capra, John Ford, Francis Ford Coppola, and Brian De Palma.  Although the six had very different conscious attitudes towards the Church during their adult lives, it is Blake's contention that each preserves traces of a "Catholic imagination" as an "afterimage" impression.  In terms of influence on creative choices, this primarily involves themes of salvific community and sacramentality.

This is a rich premise, but crowding so many prolific filmmakers into a single book means that the author barely begins to scratch the surface.  To be fair, Blake is aware of this - he is more concerned here with establishing an approach than applying it.  Ultimately, while the book is both interesting and entertaining, it is unfortunately lacking in depth.