Description
This book is a collection of essays on various topics in film theory and philosophy. The essays are written by both film scholars and philosophers who share the commitment to conceptual investigation, logical consistency, and clarity of argument that characterizes analytic philosophy. The first section of the book addresses the nature of cinematic representation, while the second section re-examines notions of authorship and intentionality in our understanding and appreciation of films. Sections 3 and 4 look at ideology and aesthetics respectively, while the final section considers the nature and place of emotion in film spectatorship. The diversity of the questions addressed here (aesthetics and politics in black film theory, film music, authorship, genre, comedy, epistemology, feminism, and film theory) is matched by the range of positions argued for and demonstrates a vital plurality of perspectives rather than a single line of thought.
While concepts from and debates within Continental philosophy have long formed a backdrop to arguments in film theory and criticism, exchanges between Anglo-American 'analytic' philosophy and film studies have been relatively few and far between. In recent years this has begun to change, as the consensus around semiotic and psychoanalytic approaches has weakened, as film scholars have turned their attention to other sources such as cognitive theory and analytic philosophy, and as philosophers have taken a more focused interest in film. This volume provides further momentum to these developments. It is comprised of new essays on a wide range of topics by both film scholars and philosophers who share the commitment to conceptual investigation, logical consistency, and clarity of argument that characterizes analytic philosophy. The first section addresses the nature of cinematic representation, while the second section re-examines notions of authorship and intentionality in our understanding and appreciation of films. Sections 3 and 4 look at ideology and aesthetics respectively, while the final section considers the nature and place of emotion in film spectatorship. The diversity of the questions addressed here (aesthetics and politics in black film theory, film music, authorship, genre, comedy, epistemology, feminism, and film theory)is matched by the range of positions argued for and demonstrates a vital plurality of perspectives rather than a single line of thought. Review: this volume should help add momentum to a shift of paradigms as it affords new frameworks for the study of cinema. The Philosophical Review, vol. 109, no 1 The contributions are all of a high standard. Problems are clearly defined, concepts clarified, fine distinctions drawn, objections considered, and supporting evidence purveyed. In their documentation, scrupulous attention to opposing arguments, integrity, and clarity of reasoning, the contributions are models of professional academic philosophy ... The many virtues of the analytical tradition are manifest in chapter after chapter ... This anthology merits close perusal by anyone interested in genuine film theory. Trevor Whittock, Brit Jrnl of Aesthetics, Vol 39, no 3, 1999 Admirably edited by Allen and Smith, who contribute an excellent introductory chapter summing up the arguments against the continentals ... W. A. Vincent, Michigan State University, CHOICE, Oct 98
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