The Hollywood Renaissance: revisiting American cinema's most celebrated era

In the year 1966, six films were released with the designation 'Suggested for Mature Audiences', with 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' credited with ushering in more permissive and mature content.

Almost a year later, the December 8, 1967 cover of Time featured a picture from Bonnie and Clyde with the somewhat sensationalist headline: 'The New Cinema: Violence.

Sex. Art'. Two years later, the MPAA Ratings System were put into place - acknowledging the success and generational change in the film industry with younger executives and directors adopting a new approach to mainstream filmmaking.

Over fifty years on, Yannis Tzioumakis and Peter Krämer's collection on one of the most explosive eras of Hollywood history examines 13 films from this period, situating each in its historical and political context with reference to important filmmakers, stars, production trends and organisations.