Anything by Terrence Malik, really. Tree of Life certainly, as mentioned in
another post. but also Days of Heaven and Thin Red Line (which juxtaposes a
benevolent and malign view of nature . - cf Colonel Tall's (Nick Nolte's)
admonition to Cpt Starros (Elias Koteas) that 'Nature is Cruel' - contrasted
with Pvt Witt's (Jim Caviezel) romanitised view of nature.
other suggestions
Japon (Carlos Reygadas)
Van Diemen's Land ( Jonathan Auf Der Heide)
Dersu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa)
Ten canoes (Rolf de Heer)
cheers,
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Jamey Findling" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2012 2:08 AM
Subject: [FILM-PHILOSOPHY] films depicting the relationship between humans
and nature
I am working on a new course for next spring entitled "Screening the
Anthropocene." The course will concern various depictions in film of the
relationship between human beings and nature. So, for instance, in The Day
After Tomorrow (2004) one can see nature represented as a monstrous and
terrifying threat to humanity, while in Avatar (2009), one can find a
conflict between two competing views of nature (as, say, divine source of
life on the one hand and as exploitable resource on the other). Yet another
view is presented in Into the Wild (2007), with nature a sort of inscrutable
and indifferent Other.
I would very much welcome other suggestions of films that prominently
thematize the relationship between human beings and nature. Of particular
interest are films that represent the relationship in ways that are
distinctive or novel, or that are especially clear or compelling. One
specific request would be for films that approach this issue from a
Judeo-Christian perspective, such as by manifesting the tension between the
"stewardship" and "dominion" narratives in Genesis. (I think, for example,
that The Mission [1986] could work in this context.)
As suggested by my examples, I am mostly looking for films that a general
undergraduate audience in the U.S. would find accessible, but that's not to
say that other suggestions would be unwelcome.
Thanks in advance for any and all thoughtful replies!
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