Millers Crossing, Unforgiven and Out of the Past are great films if you
want to examine ethics in film
-------Original Message-------
From: Film-Philosophy Salon
Date: Wednesday, 30 July 2003 5:50:14 AM
To: Recipients of FILM-PHILOSOPHY digests
Subject: FILM-PHILOSOPHY Digest - 29 Jul 2003 - Special issue (#2003-230)
There are 13 messages totalling 752 lines in this issue.
Topics in this special issue:
1. Ethics and Film (5)
2. drowning
3. The Odyssey
4. ethics and film (2)
5. Ethics and Film Plus HAPPY ENDING (2)
6. Ethics, Physics, Film
7. Science-Fiction Film as Philosophy
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 18:12:01 +0100
From: =?iso-8859-1?q?David=20Surman?= <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Ethics and Film
Dan,
You might want to consider the Disney feature films
from Snow White (1937) onwards, which have made the
'ethical' dilemmas a consistent theme. Disney openly
expressed a desire to utilise the animated form to
confront ethical issues.
This in itself is not expecially interesting, but
(considering reception studies) the Disney ethical
oeuvre has garnered increasingly critical stances --
with recent films such as 'Treasure Planet' (2003)
failing at the box office. The generic ethical stance
of the Disney studio seems sluggish and unreflective
of its audience, especially when compared to the savvy
Pixar studios, whom consistently break the box office
record for animated feature film earnings.
John Lasseter was himself a Disney animator before
setting up Pixar, and his work reflects this
implicitly, yet Pixar animation doesnt not endlessly
reiterate the plight of the orphan, the absence of the
parent, and the prodigal journey -- ethical themes
which can be traced back to Disney's original
auteuristic role in the studio which are maintain
today -- to the detriment of the studio.
Hayao Miyazaki (the japanese animator/director who won
best animated feature for 'Spirited Away' at the
oscars) has received similar criticism, for his
tireless promotion of the ethical issues pertaining to
the environment, culture and globalisation.
Regarding these two examples, ethical issues in film
(albeit animated film) seem tied to auteurship.
Best,
David
Warwick Film and TV Dept.
________________________________________________________________________
Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo!
Messenger http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 13:15:06 -0400
From: Rosemary Ceravolo <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Ethics and Film
There's always "Double Indemnity," "The Postman Always Rings Twice,"
"Mildred Pierce," to name just several....
Rosemary
............................
On Tue, 29 Jul 2003, Shaw, Dan wrote:
> To change the subject, I am putting together a book on ethics and film, =
> and would appreciate suggestions from the members of the salon as to the =
> best cinematic portrayals of ethical dilemmas, contemporary moral issues =
> and/or moral virtues in film.
>
> I am also in the process of editing a special edition of Film and =
> Philosophy on
> Ethical and Existential themes in film, which is looking good. But the =
> book is a totally separate endeavor.
>
> Dan Shaw
> Managing Editor, Film and Philosophy =20
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 13:40:20 -0400
From: reni celeste <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Ethics and Film
If we think the ethical as merely thematic it is the content of all
drama. if we understand drama as a contest of wills and values. To
probe deeper into the question of essence and conditions of possibility
for the ethical is maybe more challenging for cinema. Kieslowski's
"Decalogue" or Resnais' "Hiroshima mon amour".
reni
On Tuesday, July 29, 2003, at 01:15 PM, Rosemary Ceravolo wrote:
> There's always "Double Indemnity," "The Postman Always Rings Twice,"
> "Mildred Pierce," to name just several....
>
> Rosemary
> ...........................
> On Tue, 29 Jul 2003, Shaw, Dan wrote:
>
>> To change the subject, I am putting together a book on ethics and
>> film, =
>> and would appreciate suggestions from the members of the salon as to
>> the =
>> best cinematic portrayals of ethical dilemmas, contemporary moral
>> issues =
>> and/or moral virtues in film.
>>
>> I am also in the process of editing a special edition of Film and =
>> Philosophy on
>> Ethical and Existential themes in film, which is looking good. But
>> the =
>> book is a totally separate endeavor.
>>
>> Dan Shaw
>> Managing Editor, Film and Philosophy =20
>>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:08:16 EDT
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: drowning
--part1_bb.33f39d5c.2c581210_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
The deluge sequence in _O Brother, Where Art Thou_ includes a survived
drowning scene. A crashing wall of water obliterates the horizon. Under
water, the
camera remains fixed as characters and story elements wash by, allowing the
viewer to sense the powerful force of floodwater as it deconstructs the
storyworld. For a moment it seems that Odysseus will not survive Poseidon's
wrath in
this twisted myth. But when the water finds its own level, he surfaces with
sidekicks and props, and a cow floating by on a rooftop fulfills the
blindman's
original prophecy. Here the water is developed as a character with an arc.
By
contrast, in _The Hours_ water is presented objectively as V. Woolf weighted
with rocks descends into a domesticated, picturesque river.
T.A.Brady
--part1_bb.33f39d5c.2c581210_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=3D3>The deluge sequence in _O=
Brother, Where Art Thou_ includes a survived drowning scene. A crashing
wal=
l of water obliterates the horizon. Under water, the camera remains fixed
as=
characters and story elements wash by, allowing the viewer to sense the
pow=
erful force of floodwater as it deconstructs the storyworld. For a moment
it=
seems that Odysseus will not survive Poseidon's wrath in this twisted myth
=
But when the water finds its own level, he surfaces with sidekicks and
prop=
s, and a cow floating by on a rooftop fulfills the blindman's original
proph=
ecy. Here the water is developed as a character with an arc. By contrast,
in=
_The Hours_ water is presented objectively as V. Woolf weighted with
rocks=20=
descends into a domesticated, picturesque river.
<BR>T.A.Brady</FONT></HTML>
--part1_bb.33f39d5c.2c581210_boundary--
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 11:22:52 -0700
From: Dorna Khazeni <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: The Odyssey
How about "In the White City" by Alain Tanner? When the ship he works on
reaches Lison, Bruno Ganz gets off it and whiles away days and grapples
with time and with his own identity in Portugal while sending Super8 films
that are kind of a diary to his wife in Germany.
_________________________________________________________________
Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:21:27 -0400
From: Rosemary Ceravolo <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Ethics and Film
While I agree with you in essence :), ethics and morality
are subjects of their own extensive philosophical value and
exploration from time immemorial. Whether or not these
concerns translate into cinema beyond the "merely thematic"
has yet to be discerned.
"Hiroshima mon amour" is actually quite amorphous, since it
superficially addresses matters of nuclear annihilation in typically
French, tepid erotica and therefore waters down the larger ethical
message to little more than the films I mentioned, which at least
make no pretenses other than being rather ordinary ethical dilemmas
among common, ordinary people in everyday situations.
Until film makers are capable of becoming adept in understanding the
differentiation between Classical Physics and Quantum Physics,
cinema has yet to address or portray the ethical/moral "Uncertainty"
implicit in the quantum mode.
Rosemary
.....................
On Tue, 29 Jul 2003, reni celeste wrote:
> If we think the ethical as merely thematic it is the content of all
> drama. if we understand drama as a contest of wills and values. To
> probe deeper into the question of essence and conditions of possibility
> for the ethical is maybe more challenging for cinema. Kieslowski's
> "Decalogue" or Resnais' "Hiroshima mon amour".
>
> reni
>
> On Tuesday, July 29, 2003, at 01:15 PM, Rosemary Ceravolo wrote:
>
> > There's always "Double Indemnity," "The Postman Always Rings Twice,"
> > "Mildred Pierce," to name just several....
> >
> > Rosemary
> > ...........................
> > On Tue, 29 Jul 2003, Shaw, Dan wrote:
> >
> >> To change the subject, I am putting together a book on ethics and
> >> film, =
> >> and would appreciate suggestions from the members of the salon as to
> >> the =
> >> best cinematic portrayals of ethical dilemmas, contemporary moral
> >> issues =
> >> and/or moral virtues in film.
> >>
> >> I am also in the process of editing a special edition of Film and =
> >> Philosophy on
> >> Ethical and Existential themes in film, which is looking good. But
> >> the =
> >> book is a totally separate endeavor.
> >>
> >> Dan Shaw
> >> Managing Editor, Film and Philosophy =20
> >>
> >
> >
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:54:42 -0400
From: Nathan Andersen <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: ethics and film
Hi Dan,
A number of films that seem to be more about epistemology/truth have a
fairly significant ethical component: e.g. _Rashomon_ & _Hilary and
Jackie_ are not just raising the question what really happened, but also
pointing out that what "really" happened is a subject for
interpretation, and hence so is the question whether and where moral
wrongs have been committed.
Action movies conveniently sidestep ethical questions -- is Indiana
Jones's personal ambition to find the latest treasure really sufficient
grounds for his willingness to risk the lives of hundreds of people en
route? -- which seems an important point to address. (Simone de
Beauvoir talks about the adventurer in _An Ethics of Ambiguity_
precisely in terms of the contradiction built into the attitudes that
motivate him or her: the adventurer has seen that a "principled"
(serious) approach to ethics is flawed insofar as it puts universal
ideals higher than the individuals for whose sake they are formulated,
but then turns around and puts his or her individual aspirations higher
than any other individuals who might be sacrificed along the way.) The
flaws in the attitude of the adventurer are highlighted in Pontecorvo's
_Burn!_ (_Quimada_), where William Walker (Brando) plays the role of the
adventurer.
Nate
--
Nathan Andersen
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Collegium of Letters
Eckerd College
4200 54th Ave. S. Phone: (727) 864-7551
St. Petersburg, FL 33712 Fax: (727) 864-8354
U.S.A. E-mail: [log in to unmask]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 15:18:55 -0400
From: reni celeste <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Ethics and Film
Rosemary, interesting connection with development in physics. perhaps
this is an ancient tragic insight as well. I think Kieslowski achieves
this in "Decalogue", as well as in earlier films dealing with
chance/fate. The law is impossible, unfullfilable ultimately, and yet
we are obliged to make choices. Resnais' insight is more explicitly
about the possibility of documenting the catastrophe. A question of
history and representation.
reni
On Tuesday, July 29, 2003, at 02:21 PM, Rosemary Ceravolo wrote:
> While I agree with you in essence :), ethics and morality
> are subjects of their own extensive philosophical value and
> exploration from time immemorial. Whether or not these
> concerns translate into cinema beyond the "merely thematic"
> has yet to be discerned.
>
> "Hiroshima mon amour" is actually quite amorphous, since it
> superficially addresses matters of nuclear annihilation in typically
> French, tepid erotica and therefore waters down the larger ethical
> message to little more than the films I mentioned, which at least
> make no pretenses other than being rather ordinary ethical dilemmas
> among common, ordinary people in everyday situations.
>
> Until film makers are capable of becoming adept in understanding the
> differentiation between Classical Physics and Quantum Physics,
> cinema has yet to address or portray the ethical/moral "Uncertainty"
> implicit in the quantum mode.
>
> Rosemary
> ....................
> On Tue, 29 Jul 2003, reni celeste wrote:
>
>> If we think the ethical as merely thematic it is the content of all
>> drama. if we understand drama as a contest of wills and values. To
>> probe deeper into the question of essence and conditions of
>> possibility
>> for the ethical is maybe more challenging for cinema. Kieslowski's
>> "Decalogue" or Resnais' "Hiroshima mon amour".
>>
>> reni
>>
>> On Tuesday, July 29, 2003, at 01:15 PM, Rosemary Ceravolo wrote:
>>
>>> There's always "Double Indemnity," "The Postman Always Rings Twice,"
>>> "Mildred Pierce," to name just several....
>>>
>>> Rosemary
>>> ...........................
>>> On Tue, 29 Jul 2003, Shaw, Dan wrote:
>>>
>>>> To change the subject, I am putting together a book on ethics and
>>>> film, =
>>>> and would appreciate suggestions from the members of the salon as to
>>>> the =
>>>> best cinematic portrayals of ethical dilemmas, contemporary moral
>>>> issues =
>>>> and/or moral virtues in film.
>>>>
>>>> I am also in the process of editing a special edition of Film and =
>>>> Philosophy on
>>>> Ethical and Existential themes in film, which is looking good. But
>>>> the =
>>>> book is a totally separate endeavor.
>>>>
>>>> Dan Shaw
>>>> Managing Editor, Film and Philosophy =20
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
Reni Celeste, Ph.D.
University of Rochester
http://www.cinemonkeys.com/reni/
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2003 00:59:17 -0700
From: newagebramhan <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Ethics and Film Plus HAPPY ENDING
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_00A5_01C35635.CDA9D260
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hello All,
This is really a nice topic chosen by Dan Shaw, "Ethics and Film".=20
While on the subject, let me share one of my own observations (of course =
there are many) :
1. Why is at all movies end with the Good triumphing over the Evil - =
invariably always as a rule, with no exception.
HOLD ON : Well I am sure to get a flurry of responses saying in such a =
such movie the bad guy survived or the wickedness or vileness was =
carried on, only to come back again. NO. I am talking of serious movies =
made by serious people and with serious intentions. =20
On the contrary,
It doesn't happen that way in the big bad real world ( am I prejudiced ? =
)=20
ok,=20
In the big big world out here.=20
So, could movies be a way, to let out our frustrations - our =
helplessness ?
OR=20
Could the movies with 'always the happy ending theme' a wish (sort of =
fervent appeal) of what God's real world could have been :-)
Bye,
Sharath =20
------=_NextPart_000_00A5_01C35635.CDA9D260
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4134.600" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello All,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>This is really a nice topic =
chosen by Dan=20
Shaw, "Ethics and Film". </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>While on the subject, let me =
share one of my=20
own observations (of course there are many) :</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>1. Why is at all movies end with =
the Good=20
triumphing over the Evil - invariably always as a rule, with no=20
exception.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> HOLD ON : Well I am sure to get a =
flurry of=20
responses saying in such a such movie the bad guy survived or=20
the wickedness or vileness was carried on, only to come back again. =
<STRONG>NO.</STRONG> I am talking of serious movies made by serious =
people and=20
with serious intentions. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><U>On the contrary,</U></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It doesn't happen that way in the big =
bad=20
real world ( am I prejudiced ? ) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>ok, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>In the big big world out here. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So, could movies be a way, to let =
out our=20
frustrations - our helplessness ?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>OR </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Could the movies with =
<EM><STRONG>'always the happy=20
ending theme'</STRONG></EM> a wish (sort of fervent =
appeal) of what=20
God's real world could have been :-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Bye,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>Sharath </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_00A5_01C35635.CDA9D260--
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 15:44:34 -0400
From: Mike Frank <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Ethics, Physics, Film
This is a multipart message in MIME format.
--=_alternative 006CDE2A85256D72_=
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Rosemary Ceravolo writes:
>
> Until film makers are capable of becoming adept in understanding the
> differentiation between Classical Physics and Quantum Physics,
> cinema has yet to address or portray the ethical/moral "Uncertainty"
> implicit in the quantum mode.
speaking as someone with no hope of ever "getting" quantum physics --
i find the classical version more than tough enough -- i wonder if
rosemary, or someone else, might offer some insights at least suggesting
why or how the principles of physics, whatever they may be, can impinge
on ethics . . .
i speculate [perhaps foolishly] that the kind of freedom necessary
for ethics -- ethics presumably requiring that any decision be
freely chosen -- is not available in a quantum universe . . . but this is
an old and already addressed conundrum, and as such hardly requires
being adept in the new world order . . .
in any case, any posts aiming to clarify this would be very much
appreciated
mike
--=_alternative 006CDE2A85256D72_=
Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
<br><font size=2><tt> Rosemary Ceravolo writes:<br>
><br>
> Until film makers are capable of becoming adept in understanding
the<br>
> differentiation between Classical Physics and Quantum Physics,<br>
> cinema has yet to address or portray the ethical/moral "
Uncertainty"<br>
> implicit in the quantum mode.</tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>speaking as someone with no
hope of ever "getting" quantum physics --</i></font>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>i find the classical
version more than tough enough -- i wonder if </i></font>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>rosemary, or someone else,
might offer some insights at least suggesting</i></font>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>why or how the principles
of physics, whatever they may be, can impinge</i></font>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>on ethics . . .</i></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>i speculate [perhaps
foolishly] that the kind of freedom necessary </i></font>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>for ethics -- ethics
presumably requiring that any decision be</i></font>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>freely chosen -- is not
available in a quantum universe . . . but this is</i></font>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>an old and already
addressed conundrum, and as such hardly requires</i></font>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>being adept in the new
world order . . .</i></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>in any case, any posts
aiming to clarify this would be very much</i></font>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>appreciated</i></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 color=#0020c2 face="Century"><i>mike</i></font>
--=_alternative 006CDE2A85256D72_=--
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 20:46:03 +0100
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Science-Fiction Film as Philosophy
..:,
..', :. .
... , ..' : ..
... '. .. ,. ..: ..
... .: .'.. ,. . ... F I L M - P H I L O S O P H Y
.. ' ...,... . . .:. . .
.. .. . : ... .'.. ..,.. ISSN 1466-4615
.. ., . . :... . . '.. Journal : Salon : Portal
.. .'. , : ..... . PO Box 26161, London SW8 4WD
.. .:..'...,. . http://www.film-philosophy.com
... :.,.. '....
.....:,. '.
..' :. .
..,'
Science-Fiction Film as Philosophy
Special Issue, August 2003
Anna Powell, 'Selling Space'
On King and Krzywinska's _Science Fiction Cinema_ (2000)
Jon Baldwin, 'Other Bother'
On Sardar and Cubitt's _Aliens R Us_ (2002)
Lysa Rivera, 'Screening the Postmodern'
On Sobchack's _Screening Space _ (1987)
Richard I. Pope, 'In Kubrick's Crypt, a Derrida/Deleuze Monster'
On Kubrick's _2001: A Space Odyssey_ (1968)
Nathan Andersen, 'Is Film the Alien Other to Philosophy?'
On Mulhall's _On Film_ (2002)
Julian Baggini, 'Alien Ways of Thinking'
On Mulhall's _On Film_ (2002)
Stephen Mulhall, 'Ways of Thinking'
A Response to Andersen and Baggini
.. .. . : ... .'.. ..,..
No need to wait: please by all means begin discussing the philosophical
impact of science fiction cinema. _Film-Philosophy_ journal texts are
published through the email salon (as well as on the website) so that they
can be discussed and contested and continued by you members, so please send
your thoughts to:
[log in to unmask]
.. .. . : ... .'.. ..,..
Salon Netiquette:
When hitting 'reply' please always delete the text of the message you are
replying to -- namely, do not leave old posts underneath your reply (but by
all means quote lines you particularly want to refer to).
Please do not use html or styled formatting when sending messages -- some
members will not be able to read your post, and non-formatted texts take up
less bandwidth and thus download quicker.
Styled formatting can be replaced by a simple ascii text style guide: to
emphasise words *quote with asterisks*; film and book titles should be
marked with underscores -- Deleuze's _Cinema_, Sokurov's _Mother and Son_;
mark titles of articles and all quotations with 'single quotation marks';
and instead of tabs or indents please separate paragraphs with a one line
gap.
When sending a message please check that the subject line reflects the
message content, and is not just one left over from a previous thread or
digest message.
If you have problems unsubscribing, or sending messages generally, then do
not ask for help via the salon, but simply email the owner at:
[log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]
Salon Commands:
To change to digest, send the message: set film-philosophy digest
to: [log in to unmask]
To leave, send the message: leave film-philosophy
to: [log in to unmask]
.. .. . : ... .'.. ..,..
.. ., . . :... . . '..
.. .'. , : ..... .
.. .:..'...,. .
... :.,.. '....
.....:,. '.
..' :. .
..,'
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 20:49:47 +0100
From: "John M." <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Ethics and Film Plus HAPPY ENDING
In Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors the theme is explcitly about
the triumph of bad characters and the failure of the good one.
I think, however, the movie is philosphically pretty superficial just
because it is so obviously driven by a desire to illustrate the
philosophical theme. The most interesting ethically relevant movies are
thickly rather than thinly ethical, grappling with ethical stories from
within the narrative/style rather than than merely generating the
narrative out of a predetermined theme. Woody Allen probably paid more
attention to philosophy classes in his brief time at NYU than did
Scorsese, but I'd suggest that Scorsese's films, in part because they
are not generally mere illustrations of ethical or other ideas, are
philosophically more interesting. Of course they are also more complex,
ambiguous, maybe even at times incoherent, but as Aristotle says you can
only get as much precision as the subject matter allows.
John M.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 15:50:04 -0400
From: reni celeste <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: ethics and film
What about the superhero? Even the most ordinary american action figure
often bears something of this myth alongside that of the adventurer.
Much action film is highly invested in the good/bad on a thematic
level, though true in an unthought sense much of the time. Spiderman's
motto, "with great power comes great responsibility" is born of his own
guilt--his implication in the causal chain of events that led to his
uncle's death. The green goblin challenges his ethic by presenting a
double-bind. He suspends mary jane and a tram full of children over a
bridge. the ethical dilemma of choice, in this case the one vs. the
many, is overome though a feat of super power and special effect. Not
an option that plays out beyond cinema unfortunately. Perhaps the need
for the superhero is akin to the happy ending as Sharath describes it.
an antidote for despair of sorts.
reni
On Tuesday, July 29, 2003, at 02:54 PM, Nathan Andersen wrote:
> Hi Dan,
>
> A number of films that seem to be more about epistemology/truth have a
> fairly significant ethical component: e.g. _Rashomon_ & _Hilary and
> Jackie_ are not just raising the question what really happened, but
> also
> pointing out that what "really" happened is a subject for
> interpretation, and hence so is the question whether and where moral
> wrongs have been committed.
>
> Action movies conveniently sidestep ethical questions -- is Indiana
> Jones's personal ambition to find the latest treasure really sufficient
> grounds for his willingness to risk the lives of hundreds of people en
> route? -- which seems an important point to address. (Simone de
> Beauvoir talks about the adventurer in _An Ethics of Ambiguity_
> precisely in terms of the contradiction built into the attitudes that
> motivate him or her: the adventurer has seen that a "principled"
> (serious) approach to ethics is flawed insofar as it puts universal
> ideals higher than the individuals for whose sake they are formulated,
> but then turns around and puts his or her individual aspirations higher
> than any other individuals who might be sacrificed along the way.) The
> flaws in the attitude of the adventurer are highlighted in Pontecorvo's
> _Burn!_ (_Quimada_), where William Walker (Brando) plays the role of
> the
> adventurer.
>
> Nate
>
> --
> Nathan Andersen
> Assistant Professor of Philosophy
> Collegium of Letters
> Eckerd College
> 4200 54th Ave. S. Phone: (727) 864-7551
> St. Petersburg, FL 33712 Fax: (727) 864-8354
> U.S.A. E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>
Reni Celeste, Ph.D.
University of Rochester
http://www.cinemonkeys.com/reni/
------------------------------
End of FILM-PHILOSOPHY Digest - 29 Jul 2003 - Special issue (#2003-230)
***********************************************************************
.
