Description
Book SynopsisOrganized around a series of philosophic questions about film, this title offers an accessible overview of the discipline. It provides a selection of readings drawn from philosophy, film studies, and film criticism. It has multiple points of view highlighted in discussion of film theory, narration, film and emotion, and social values of cinema.
Trade Review“Congratulations to Wartenberg and Curran for their terrific anthology. Uniting key works in film theory, criticism, and philosophy, this much-needed text has excellent sections on core topics.”
Deborah Knight, Queen’s University at Kingston
“The Philosophy of Film presents a judicious selection of influential writings on the philosophy of film from across the spectrum of current opinion, though weighted toward the increasingly dominant cognitivist paradigm of film experience. The introductory and pedagogic material provided by the editors is uniformly helpful.”
Jerrold Levinson, University of Maryland, and Past President, American Society for Aesthetics
“Bringing together important writings by prominent philosophers and film theorists, this volume of readings with useful editorial commentary will prove a valuable resource for students of the philosophy of film.” Berys Gaut, University of St Andrews
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments viii
General Introduction 1
Part I: Do We Need Film Theory? 5
Introduction 5
Study Questions 8
1 Prospects for Film Theory: A Personal Assessment 11
Noël Carroll
2 Can Scientific Models of Theorizing Help Film Theory? 21
Malcolm Turvey
3 Philosophy of Film as the Creation of Concepts 33
Gilles Deleuze
Part II: What Is the Nature of Film? 39
Introduction 39
Study Questions 41
4 Defining the Photoplay 43
Hugo Münsterberg
5 The Artistry of Silent Film 50
Rudolf Arnheim
6 Cinematic Realism 59
André Bazin
7 Film, Photography, and Transparency 70
Kendall L. Walton
8 Non-fictional Cinematic Artworks and Knowledge 77
Trevor Ponech
Part III: Do Films Have Authors? 91
Introduction 91
Study Questions 94
9 La Politique des Auteurs 95
François Truffaut
10 Auteur Theory and Film Evaluation 99
Andrew Sarris
11 The Idea of Film Criticism 108
Pauline Kael
12 Against Authorship 118
Stephen Heath
13 DVDs and the Director’s Intentions 123
Deborah Parker and Mark Parker
Part IV: How Do Films Engage Our Emotions? 133
Introduction 133
Study Questions 136
14 Narrative Desire 139
Gregory Currie
15 Spectator Emotion and Ideological Film Criticism 148
Carl Plantinga
16 Engaging Characters 160
Murray Smith
17 The Paradox of Horror 170
Noël Carroll
Part V: Must Films Have Narrators? 179
Introduction 179
Study Questions 181
18 Principles of Film Narration 183
David Bordwell
19 The Cinematic Narrator 190
Seymour Chatman
20 Narration as Showing 198
George M. Wilson
Part VI: Can Films Be Socially Critical? 209
Introduction 209
Study Questions 212
21 The Politics of Representation 213
Michael Ryan and Douglas Kellner
22 But Would You Want Your Daughter To Marry One? Politics and Race in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner 225
Thomas E. Wartenberg
23 Stella at the Movies: Class, Critical Spectatorship, and Melodrama in Stella Dallas 235
Angela Curran
Part VII: What Can We Learn From Films? 247
Introduction 247
Study Questions 250
24 Knowledge as Transgression: It Happened One Night 253
Stanley Cavell
25 Realist Horror 260
Cynthia A. Freeland
26 Philosophy Screened: Experiencing The Matrix 270
Thomas E. Wartenberg
27 Virtue and Happiness in Groundhog Day 284
Joseph H. Kupfer
Suggestions for Further Reading 295
Index 298
