OrangePhilosophy

For any film, a philosopher can find a philosophical element, given their philosophical background. People find existentialism in almost everything. Why? Because most people have some philosophical knowledge of that area: it�s kinda popular. But take for example, Mude Tod, Der (Between Two Worlds, Fritz Lang, 1921) ,an exploration of a possible world where every possibility is simultaneously actual, and whether or not that makes choice impossible -- or, the opposite. So we have some quantum stuff, modality, identity, freewill, dialetheism, etc. Had I not read that area of philosophy, I wouldn't have seen that stuff. My friend watching the film with me, a classics major, pointed out stoical non-assent aspects of the film. I didn't know that! What about the schizophrenic (and I mean clinical!) Frankfurt Cases in Hitchcock�s 1951 Strangers on a Train. Or Subiela�s 1986 film, Man Facing Southeast (where Disney despicably co-opted nearly every scene of that film for the production of KPAX), exploring the line between reality and delusion. (Yes, I am aware there�s a distinction between the concept of film and cinema, partly dependent on the functionality of the medium between the subject and the other -- but I�m not waxing that way.) The point I'm trying to make (if it is one) is that as one�s knowledge of philosophy grows so do the connections in film: this seems like an infinite process, since the domain of both seem endless. Every film has some philosophical content, so it seems futile to systematize. (This is not inconsistent with showing a film in class without some conditions of why it's philosophical -- see below. I do, however, think that philosophy of film classes have more of a problem about their justification, simply because s either doesn't know enough philosophy or s doesn't have clear topics to justify the showing x film under that topic, or both.) I find a film, play a few minutes here and there for my students, then ask, �What is the philosophical content in this film?� (I do this before and after we begin a section: I get interesting results.) Students are usually spot on! I've had several students tell me that they can't stop seeing some philosophical theory in x film (is that brainwashing?), even involving ancient paradoxes!; I�m not sure if that�s a good thing, but for those who know me that�s a victory. But I still need to find a film that involves semantic vagueness!!: that might be a foreign one.) I've always wanted to post a list of films, but thought it would take too much time, especially given my obsessive tendencies. But more importantly, writing a dissertation, teaching, and watching movies, leaves no time to write on movies.