Film Theory and Philosophy

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Edited by Richard Allen and Murray Smith

Type

Didactic

Subject

Theory

Keywords

philosophy, theory

Publishing date

1999

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 486 pages
6 x 9 ¼ inches (15.5 x 23.5 cm)

ISBN-10
ISBN-13

0-19-815988-9
978-0-19-815988-9

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Book Presentation:
Major new collection on film theory Leading names from film studies and philosophy

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.

About the authors:
Edited by Richard Allen, Associate Professor of Cinema Studies, New York University, and Murray Smith, Lecturer in Film Studies, University of Kent at Canterbury

Press Reviews:
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 argument against the continentals ... - W. A. Vincent, Michigan State University, CHOICE sept 98, vol 36, no 2

See the publisher website: Oxford University Press