A Cinema of Violence: The Films of D. Ross Lederman

Abstract

Although he worked for two major studios for the bulk of his career, Warner Brothers and Columbia, D. (David) Ross Lederman specialized in genre films and created his films swiftly, compactly, and with authority. His films stand out because they all display Ledermans uniquely dystopian view of life, combined with a relentless, inexorable narrative drive. In his best films, Lederman not only bent the rules of genre cinema, he all but abolished them. The sheer intensity of Ledermans imagistic and editorial pacing, coupled with his encyclopedic knowledge of genre filmmaking, allowed him to transcend the conventions of the typical program film, no matter what the genre, and make it a personal project.