Ecological Film Theory and Psychoanalysis: Surviving the Environmental Apocalypse in Cinema

Ecological Film Theory and Psychoanalysis explores how films fictionalizing environmental disasters provide spectacular warnings against the dangers of environmental apocalypse, while highlighting that even these seemingly environmentally friendly films can still facilitate problematic real-world changes in how people treat the environment. It argues that these films exploit cinemas inherent Cartesian grammar to construct texts in which not only small groups of protagonist survivors, but also vicarious spectators, pleasurably transcend the fictionalized destruction. The book conducts extensive analyses of these processes before considering alternative forms of filmmaking that might avoid the dangers of this existing form of storytelling.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 262 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2021
Publisher: Routledge

Ecological Film Theory and Psychoanalysis delves into the captivating realm of film, where it explores the profound impact of fictionalizing environmental disasters on audiences, serving as mesmerizing warnings against the impending dangers of an environmental apocalypse. While these films may appear to promote environmentally friendly messages, they also have the potential to facilitate problematic real-world changes in how people perceive and interact with the natural world.

The book employs the interdisciplinary fields of ecolinguistics and psychoanalysis to unravel the intricate mechanisms at play. It argues that these films leverage the inherent grammar of cinema to create narratives that not only captivate small groups of protagonist survivors but also engage vicarious spectators in a pleasurable experience of transcendence amidst the fictionalized destruction. Furthermore, the ideological underpinnings of these 'lifeboats' on which the survivors escape are accompanied by additional elements that constitute contemporary Cartesian subjectivity, encompassing class and gender binaries, restored nuclear families, individual responsibilities for disasters rather than collective social responsibilities, and more.

To delve deeper into these processes, the book conducts extensive analyses, shedding light on the ways in which films perpetuate and reinforce Cartesian subjectivity, which is identified as an environmentally destructive 'symptom' reinforced by everyday linguistic activities, including the act of watching films. By examining these dynamics, the book offers valuable insights into alternative forms of filmmaking that can mitigate the risks associated with this existing form of storytelling.

This book holds immense appeal to students and scholars engaged in the study of film studies, literary studies (particularly ecocriticism), cultural studies, ecolinguistics, and ecosophy. It provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the complex interplay between film, language, and environmental consciousness, offering valuable perspectives and insights into the urgent need for sustainable storytelling in a world facing mounting ecological challenges.

Weight: 372g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032027760