Thinking Film: Philosophy at the Movies

Film is an original art form that crosses high and low art, and it was also a place where America in the 1930s and 1940s did its thinking, which was taken up and enriched throughout world cinema. This book explores the question of whether film can think, drawing from both sides of the philosophical divide to reflect on this topic. It spans generations and disciplines, pondering everything from art house classics to mainstream blockbusters, and aims to provide a novel and engaging way to think with and about this enduringly popular art form.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 424 pages
Publication date: 27 July 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Hailed as one of America's original art forms, film possesses a distinctive quality of transcending the boundaries between high and low art. However, film's impact extends far beyond this. According to American philosopher Stanley Cavell, cinema played a crucial role in shaping American thought during the 1930s and 1940s, a tradition that was subsequently embraced and enriched throughout the world of cinema. Can film truly think? That is, can film perform the functions of philosophy?

Drawing inspiration from Cavell's exploration of the analytic-continental traditions, this book delves into the question of whether film can think. Spanning generations and disciplines, it ponders a wide range of films, from art house classics to mainstream blockbusters. Thinking Film: Philosophy at the Movies aims to foster a comprehensive and interdisciplinary dialogue that traverses the conceptual and the particular, exploring how film catalyzes our thinking and ignites conversations.

By viewing the world through the lens of film, we gain a deeper understanding of it and ourselves, opening up new possibilities for thought and transformation. This book seeks to provide a novel and engaging entry point into the realm of thinking with and about this enduringly popular art form.

Weight: 654g
Dimension: 230 x 160 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350113466