Guillermo del Toro is a complete and intimate study of the life and work of one of modern cinema's most truly unique directors, whose distinct aesthetic and imagination are unmatched in contemporary film. Widely regarded as one of the
most imaginative directors working in cinema today, Guillermo del Toro has built up a body of work that has enthralled movie fans with its
dark beauty and edge-of-the-seat set pieces. In this book, acclaimed author Ian Nathan charts the progression of a career that has produced some of contemporary cinema's most revered scenes and idiosyncratic characters. This detailed examination looks at how the strands of del Toro's career have woven together to create one of
modern cinema's most ground-breaking bodies of work. Delving deep into del Toro's psyche, the book starts by examining his beginnings in Mexico, the creative but isolated child surrounded by ornate catholicism and monster magazines, filming stop motion battles between his toys on a Super-8 film camera.
It follows him to film school, where we learn of his influences, from Kafka to Bunuel, and explores his 1993 debut
Cronos, the independent horror debut which draws on the
religious and
occult themes which would recur throughout del Toro's work.
It goes on to cover his development as a director with 1997's
Mimic, his blockbuster success with the
Hellboy films and goes on to study the films which have cemented his status as a legendary auteur, Oscar award winners
Pan's Labrynth and
The Shape of Water, as well as his sci-fi masterpiece
Pacific Rim, as well as looking at his exciting upcoming projects
Nightmare Alley and
Pinocchio.
An
enlightening look into the mind of an auteur blessed with a singular creative vision,
Guillermo del Toro analyses the
processes,
themes and
narratives that have come to be recognised as distinctly del Toro, from practical effects to an obsession with folklore and paganism. It looks into the
narrative techniques,
stylistic flourishes and
creative decisions which have made him a true master of modern cinema.
Presented in a
slipcase with 8-page gatefold section, with scores of
illuminating photographs of the director at work on set as well as iconic stills from his films and examples of his influences, this stunning package will
delight all Guillermo del Toro devotees and movie lovers in general.
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