Introduction: Greening the Machine—Hollywood Takes an Interest in the Environment

Abstract

This chapter lays the theoretical groundwork for the analysis of genre and landscape in succeeding chapters by making a case for contemporary cultural studies to include consideration of environmental issues through an examination of landscape as well as genre. The study of landscape permits the understanding that depictions of the natural landscape in popular Hollywood film conveys more about the “culture industry” itself than it does about environmental issues. Examining landscape through the lens of genre enables a cross-sectional analysis of Hollywood as well as a critical perspective, in that the underlying function of genre (with its commercial drive) is to soothe and flatten instead of spur into action. Finally, this chapter provides a brief description and layout of the chapters to follow, as organized by genre.