Used Book: *Theatre of Cruelty: Art, Film, and the Shadow of War* [90% New]

“Top Global Thinker” Offers Rational Advice for a Cruel World
Facing humanity and history's darkest moments, delving into what makes humans so brutal and inhumane?
What artistic flowers blossomed from the power struggles and wars of the twentieth century?
“Theater of Cruelty” is a selection of art and cultural reviews and historical essays by Ian Buruma, published over many years in The New York Review of Books. During World War II, horrific massacres and genocides occurred worldwide. Some say that everyone has an evil Nazi within them, just waiting for the right moment to emerge. Ian Buruma asks: What exactly makes humans so brutal and inhumane? Nationality? Nation? Belief? Ideals? Or merely to satisfy perverted pleasure? To get to the bottom of it, Buruma leads readers to explore Nazi propaganda films, German-occupied Paris, the fate of the Jews, Berlin bombed into ruins by the Allies, the controversial “The Diary of Anne Frank,” the attack on Pearl Harbor, Kamikaze pilots, degenerate art, East Germany under the Cold War, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, post-war Japanese avant-garde art, and more. Through manifestations in film, literature, painting, music, and theater, he revisits the scene of World War II and the world rebuilt after the war, attempting to find answers.
Artists, in response to the oppression of power and cruel reality, reveal the dark side behind civilized behavior in their works, confronting the evil impulses within human nature. Herzog, Fassbinder, Max Beckmann, George Grosz, Clint Eastwood, David Bowie, Yasunari Kawabata, Yukio Mishima, Nagisa Ōshima, Takashi Murakami, and Kruber, among others, all sought to explore the abyss of the human condition, from which artistic flowers blossomed. Buruma approaches the war through different figures, combining analysis of their works with historical insight, complemented by acute aesthetic judgment, offering readers a perspective for understanding humanity's current predicament, allowing us to gain a deeper appreciation for the beauty, violence, and cruelty we encounter in life.
★ Confronting the abyss of evil in human nature, analyzing the mysterious connection between violence, cruelty, power, and art. From film, photography, and painting, to literature, music, and dance, discussing controversial Nazi director Leni Riefenstahl, German New Wave representative Fassbinder, Expressionist movement representative Max Beckmann, symbol of American Western film Clint Eastwood, the "chameleon of rock" David Bowie, and other artists, to writers such as Döblin, Kafū Nagai, Yasunari Kawabata, and Yukio Mishima, witnessing how they responded to power and war, resisted cruel realities, and ultimately brought forth artistic flowers.
★ Replacing fanaticism and pathos with historical facts and rationality, discussing the wars and genocides of the 20th century that affected the fate of all humanity. This book delves into the tragic plight of Berlin and Paris during World War II, the tragedy of the Holocaust, the suicidal attacks of the Kamikaze, the controversy surrounding "The Diary of Anne Frank," East Germany under the Cold War, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, American imperialism, and more, all through the experiences of different artists and "ordinary people" amidst the flames of war. It leads readers to deeply explore the power mechanisms and human conflicts behind these events, analyzing people's historical perceptions and interpretations of the tumultuous 20th century.
★ From artists' creative inspiration to the zeitgeist of their works, understanding humanity's current situation and crises. Buruma not only focuses on "World War II," but also extends his concerns to today's identity crises, the helplessness in finding historical truth, violence in marginalized communities, the virtual lives of younger generations, the peculiar phenomena of contemporary news media, and the bewilderment experienced by Asian countries caught between Eastern and Western cultures. He re-establishes the contemporary significance of classic art works from the 20th century, including films, paintings, and music.
★ Winner of the PEN America Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for Art of the Essay.
Buruma's interests are broad, and he is passionate about them, courageous in his criticism... Although the creators he dissects are unconstrained, his insights and commentaries are always incisive.
— Booklist
Buruma's writing style is fluid, exploring a wide variety of subjects... demonstrating a breadth of vision often lacking in cultural critics... He devotes much attention to the analysis of artworks, and although the world is becoming increasingly difficult, he maintains a positive attitude towards history in his writing. Reading his work is a unique intellectual journey, a singular encounter with art and culture.
— Kirkus Reviews

About the Author
Ian Buruma, born in The Hague, Netherlands. He has served as a journalist for the Far Eastern Economic Review and The Spectator, and as editor-in-chief for The New York Review of Books. He has written political and cultural commentaries on Asia for publications such as The New York Times and Newsweek, and has taught at universities including Oxford, Harvard, Princeton, and Groningen. He is currently the Paul W. Williams Professor of Democracy, Human Rights, and Journalism at Bard College in New York. His published works include “Year Zero: A History of 1945,” “The Wages of Guilt: Memories of War in Germany and Japan,” and “Inventing Japan: 1853-1964.” In 2008, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his "significant contributions to culture, society or the social sciences in Europe." In the same year, he received the Shorenstein Journalism Award for his outstanding work helping American readers understand the complexities of Asia. In both 2008 and 2010, he was named one of “Foreign Policy” magazine's "Top Global Thinkers."