{"product_id":"pipeline-noir-michael-rubenstein-9781517919269","title":"Pipeline Noir: Seeing Oil Through Chinatown","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWatching \u003ci\u003eChinatown\u003c\/i\u003e fifty years after its release reveals hidden connections to today's energy and climate crises\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePipeline Noir\u003c\/i\u003e offers a fascinating interpretation of \u003ci\u003eChinatown, \u003c\/i\u003e a classic of New Hollywood cinema, through the lens of petromodernity. Michael Rubenstein reimagines the film as an allegory for the 1970s energy crises, revealing how its focus on water infrastructure in early-twentieth-century California serves as a surrogate for the oil pipelines shaping the postwar global order. Introducing the concept of the \"petroscope,\" Rubenstein demonstrates how the film's cinematic style mirrors the worldview shaped by petroleum's dominance in modern life. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Blending appreciation and analysis, this book uncovers layers of \u003ci\u003eChinatown\u003c\/i\u003e's narrative that resonate urgently today, and Rubenstein's meticulous examinations of the screenplay's draft history and of key scenes in the finished film shed new light on the film's cultural and environmental significance. By aligning \u003ci\u003eChinatown\u003c\/i\u003e with the emerging field of petrocriticism, \u003ci\u003ePipeline Noir\u003c\/i\u003e offers a compelling contribution to film theory and the energy humanities. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael Rubenstein\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1517919266\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781517919269\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Minnesota Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/07\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 82\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.00h x 5.00w x 0.17d","brand":"Michael Rubenstein","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47039898517759,"sku":"9781517919269","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_738b6479-b0bb-43f1-ae4f-42a9afa68287.jpg?v=1752752907","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/pipeline-noir-michael-rubenstein-9781517919269","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}