Landmark Movies of the 1960s
and the Cinema of Sensation

Landmark Movies

The concept of "landmark film" requires the identification of specific movies that became conspicuous to critics and audiences at the time of their release, or which, in historical hindsight, stand out from the more typical productions of an era. Some of the films discussed in this chapter may be categorized as turning points in feature film production on the relatively narrow grounds of their aesthetic and visual style, while others are set apart because of the place that they hold within the broad sweep of a changing American culture. Some of these movies are better known for the new potential they were perceived to offer to the motion-picture industry and to American cinematic art, rather than for any...