Shoe Reels: The History and Philosophy of Footwear in Film

Heidegger's interpretation of Vincent Van Gogh's painting "A Pair of Peasant's Shoes" suggests that shoes reveal human truths through images of footwear and the feet they conceal or reveal, with the cinema being a powerful medium for this expression. Shoes are not only enduring icons in cinema but also serve as characterizations, plot devices, soundtracks, metaphors, and philosophical touchpoints, and this book analyzes their significance through various approaches.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 31 December 2020
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Heidegger's interpretation of Vincent Van Gogh's painting "A Pair of Peasant's Shoes" (1886) suggests that shoes can reveal a great deal about the world of the person who wears them. In the case of Van Gogh's painting, we learn this not through a description of the shoes or a report on how to make them, but by looking at the shoes themselves. Heidegger thus highlights the power of the visual arts to convey human truths through images of footwear and the feet they conceal or reveal, a power that finds its fullest expression in the cinema. From Chaplin's meal of boots in "The Gold Rush" (1925) to Powell and Pressburger's "Red Shoes" (1948) and Dorothy's ruby slippers in "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), to Julia Roberts' PVC thigh-highs in "Pretty Woman" (1990), Marty McFly's power-lacing Nikes in "Back to the Future" (1985), and the slim, spike-heeled stiletto that graces the poster for "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006), shoes have become some of the cinema's most enduring icons. They serve not only as characterizations, plot devices, soundtracks, metaphors, and philosophical touchpoints but also as a means of exploring the human condition. This book analyzes their significance through a range of approaches drawn from the fields of film studies, philosophy, cultural history, fashion, cultural studies, and politics.

Weight: 738g
Dimension: 178 x 250 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474451406