Philosophy of Film and Motion Pictures: An Anthology

439 Pages·2005·2.97 MB·English

by  No?l Carroll

NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_1_pretoc FinalProof page 1 9.6.2005 6:43am
Philosophy of Film and Motion Pictures
NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_1_pretoc FinalProof page 2 9.6.2005 6:43am
BLACKWELLPHILOSOPHYANTHOLOGIES
Each volume in this outstanding series provides an authoritative and comprehensive collection of the
essentialprimaryreadingsfromphilosophy’smainfieldsofstudy.DesignedtocomplementtheBlackwell
CompanionstoPhilosophyseries,eachvolumerepresentsanunparalleledresourceinitsownright,andwill
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1 Cottingham:WesternPhilosophy:AnAnthology
2 Cahoone:FromModernismtoPostmodernism:AnAnthology(expandedsecondedition)
3 LaFollette:EthicsinPractice:AnAnthology(secondedition)
4 GoodinandPettit:ContemporaryPoliticalPhilosophy:AnAnthology
5 Eze:AfricanPhilosophy:AnAnthology
6 McNeillandFeldman:ContinentalPhilosophy:AnAnthology
7 KimandSosa:Metaphysics:AnAnthology
8 Lycan:MindandCognition:AnAnthology(secondedition)
9 KuhseandSinger:Bioethics:AnAnthology
10 Cummins and Cummins: Minds, Brains, and Computers – The Foundations of Cognitive Science: An
Anthology
11 SosaandKim:Epistemology:AnAnthology
12 KearneyandRasmussen:ContinentalAesthetics–RomanticismtoPostmodernism:AnAnthology
13 MartinichandSosa:AnalyticPhilosophy:AnAnthology
14 Jacquette:PhilosophyofLogic:AnAnthology
15 Jacquette:PhilosophyofMathematics:AnAnthology
16 Harris,Pratt,andWaters:AmericanPhilosophies:AnAnthology
17 EmmanuelandGoold:ModernPhilosophy–FromDescartestoNietzsche:AnAnthology
18 ScharffandDusek:PhilosophyofTechnology–TheTechnologicalCondition:AnAnthology
19 LightandRolston:EnvironmentalEthics:AnAnthology
20 TaliaferroandGriffiths:PhilosophyofReligion:AnAnthology
21 LamarqueandOlsen:AestheticsandthePhilosophyofArt–TheAnalyticTradition:AnAnthology
22 JohnandLopes:PhilosophyofLiterature–ContemporaryandClassicReadings:AnAnthology
23 CuddandAndreasen:FeministTheory:APhilosophicalAnthology
24 CarrollandChoi:PhilosophyofFilmandMotionPictures:AnAnthology
NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_1_pretoc FinalProof page 3 9.6.2005 6:43am
Philosophy of Film and
Motion Pictures
An Anthology
Edited by
Noe¨l Carroll and Jinhee Choi
NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_1_pretoc FinalProof page 4 9.6.2005 6:43am
(cid:1)2006byBlackwellPublishingLtd
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NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_2_toc FinalProof page 5 9.6.2005 6:42am
Contents
Acknowledgments viii
General Introduction 1
Part I Film as Art 5
Introduction 7
1 Photography and Representation 19
roger scruton
2 TheAesthetics of Photographic Transparency 35
dominic mciver lopes
3 Everybody Gets aCut: DVDs Give Viewers Dozens of Choices – and
that’sthe Problem 44
terrence rafferty
Part II What Is Film? 49
Introduction 51
4 TheWorld Viewed 67
stanley cavell
5 A Note on theFilm 79
susanne k. langer
6 Vision andDreamin the Cinema 82
f. e. sparshott
7 TheLong Goodbye: The Imaginary Language of Film 91
gregory currie
8 Moving Pictures 100
arthur c. danto
v
NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_2_toc FinalProof page 6 9.6.2005 6:42am
Contents
9 Defining the MovingImage 113
no lcarroll
E¨
Part III Documentary 135
Introduction 137
10 Visible Traces: Documentary and the Contents of Photographs 141
gregory currie
11 Fiction, Non-Fiction, andthe Film of Presumptive Assertion:
A ConceptualAnalysis 154
no lcarroll
E¨
Part IV Film Narrative/Narration 173
Introduction 175
12 Le Grand Imagier Steps Out: ThePrimitive Basis of Film Narration 185
george m.wilson
13 Unreliability Refigured: Narrative in Literature andFilm 200
gregory currie
Part V Film and Emotion 211
Introduction 213
14 Film, Emotion, andGenre 217
no lcarroll
E¨
15 Fearing Fictions 234
kendall walton
16 Empathyand(Film)Fiction 247
alex neill
17 Identification andEmotionin Narrative Film 260
berys gaut
18 In Fictional Shoes:Mental Simulation andFiction 271
deborahknight
Part VI Topics in Film Criticism 281
Introduction 283
19 Morals for Method 287
george m.wilson
20 CinematicAuthorship 299
paisley livingston
21 NationalCinema, the Very Idea 310
jinhee choi
vi
NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_2_toc FinalProof page 7 9.6.2005 6:42am
Contents
Part VII Film and Ethics 321
Introduction 323
22 Film Criticism and Virtue Theory 335
joseph h.kupfer
23 Beauty andEvil: The Case of LeniRiefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will 347
mary devereaux
24 A FirstLookatthe Pornography/Civil Rights Ordinance: Could Pornography
Be theSubordination of Women? 362
melinda vadas
Part VIII Film and Knowledge 379
Introduction 381
25 ThePhilosophical Limitsof Film 387
bruce russell
26 Minerva in theMovies: Relations Between Philosophyand Film 391
karen hanson
27 Motion Pictures as aPhilosophical Resource 397
lester h.hunt
Select Bibliography byJinheeChoi 407
Index 415
vii
NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_3_posttoc FinalProof page 8 9.6.2005 6:42am
Acknowledgments
The editor and publisher gratefully acknowledge Reprinted by permission of Oxford Univer-
thepermissiongrantedtoreproducethecopyright sityPressJournals.
materialinthisbook: 8 ArthurC.Danto,‘‘MovingPictures,’’Quar-
terlyReviewofFilmStudies4(1),Winter1979:
1 Roger Scruton, ‘‘Photography and Represen- 1–21.
tation,’’ The Aesthetic Understanding (London: 9 Noe¨lCarroll,‘‘DefiningtheMovingImage,’’
Methuen,1983,reprinted1998byStAugust- Theorizing The Moving Image (New York:
ine’s Press, South Ben, IN): 119–48 (from Cambridge University Press, 1996): 49–74.
reprint).(cid:1)1983byRogerScruton.Reprinted Reprinted bypermission ofCambridge Uni-
withpermissionofCurtisBrownLtd,London versityPress.
onbehalfofRogerScruton. 10 Gregory Currie, ‘‘Visible Traces: Documen-
2 Dominic McIver Lopes, ‘‘The Aesthetics of tary and the Contents of Photographs,’’ The
Photographic Transparency,’’Mind,112,July Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 57(3),
2003: 1–16. Reprinted by permission of Ox- Summer1999:285–97.Reprintedbypermis-
fordUniversityPressJournals. sionofBlackwellPublishing.
3 Terrence Rafferty, ‘‘Everybody Gets a Cut,’’ 11 Noe¨lCarroll,‘‘Fiction,Non-Fiction,andthe
TheNewYorkTimesMagazine,May4,2003: Film of Presumptive Assertion: A Concep-
58,60–1. tual Analysis,’’ Film Theory and Philosophy,
4 Stanley Cavell, excerpts from The World eds. Richard Allen and Murray Smith (New
Viewed: Reflections on the Ontology of Film York: Oxford University Press, 1997): 173–
(New York: Viking Press, 1971): 16–41. Rep- 202.ReprintedbypermissionofOxfordUni-
rintedbypermissionofStanleyCavell. versityPress.
5 Susanne K. Langer, ‘‘A Note on the 12 George M. Wilson, ‘‘Le Grand Imagier
Film,’’ Feeling and Form: A Theory of Art StepsOut:ThePrimitiveBasisofFilmNar-
Developed from Philosophy in a New Key ration,’’PhilosophicalTopics25(1),1997:295–
(New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1953), 318. Reprinted by permission of George
411–15. M.Wilson.
6 F. E. Sparshott, ‘‘Vision and Dream in the 13 Gregory Currie, ‘‘Unreliability Refigured:
Cinema,’’ Philosophical Exchange, Summer NarrativeinLiteratureandFilm,’’TheJour-
1971: 111–22. Reprinted by permission of nalofAestheticsandArtCriticism53(1),1995:
F.E.Sparshott. 19–29.ReprintedbypermissionofBlackwell
7 Gregory Currie, ‘‘The Long Goodbye: The Publishing.
Imaginary Language ofFilm,’’ British Journal 14 Noe¨l Carroll, ‘‘Film, Emotion, and Genre,’’
of Aesthetics 33(3), July 1993: 207–19. Passionate Views, eds. Carl Plantinga and
viii
NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_3_posttoc FinalProof page 9 9.6.2005 6:42am
Acknowledgments
Greg M. Smith (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins 21 Jinhee Choi, ‘‘National Cinema, the Very
University Press, 1999): 21–47, 260–2 Idea,’’firstpublishedinthisvolume.(cid:1)2006
(notes). Reprinted by permission of The byBlackwellPublishingLtd.
JohnsHopkinsUniversityPress. 22 JosephH.Kupfer,‘‘FilmCriticismandVir-
15 KendallWalton,‘‘FearingFictions,’’Journal tueTheory,’’VisionsofVirtueinPopularFilm
ofPhilosophy75(1),January1978:5–27.Rep- (Boulder:Westview,1999):13–34.
rinted by permission of the Journal of Phil- 23 MaryDevereaux,‘‘BeautyandEvil:TheCase
osophy,ColumbiaUniversity. of Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will,’’
16 Alex Neill, ‘‘Empathy and (Film) Fiction,’’ AestheticsandEthics:EssaysattheIntersection,
Post Theory, eds. Noe¨l Carroll and David ed.JerroldLevinson(Cambridge:Cambridge
Bordwell(Madison:UniversityofWisconsin UniversityPress,1998):227–56.
Press,1996):175–94. 24 MelindaVadas,‘‘AFirstLookatthePornog-
17 Berys Gaut, ‘‘Identification and Emotion in raphy/Civil Rights Ordinance: Could Porn-
Narrative Film,’’ Passionate Views, eds. Carl ography Be the Subordination of Women?’’
Plantinga and Greg M. Smith (Baltimore: The Journal of Philosophy 84(9), 1987: 487–
JohnsHopkinsUniversityPress,1999):200– 511.
16. Reprinted by permission of The Johns 25 Bruce Russell, ‘‘The Philosophical Limits of
HopkinsUniversityPress. Film,’’ Film and Philosophy (Special Edition,
18 DeborahKnight,‘‘InFictionalShoes:Mental 2000):163–7.Reprintedbypermissionofthe
Simulation and Fiction,’’ first published in SocietyforthePhilosophicStudyoftheCon-
thisvolume.(cid:1)2006byBlackwellPublishing temporaryVisualArts.
Ltd. 26 KarenHanson,‘‘MinervaintheMovies:Re-
19 George M. Wilson, ‘‘Morals for Method,’’ lations Between Philosophy and Film,’’ Per-
Philosophy and Film, eds. Cynthia A. Free- sistenceofVision5,1987:5–11.Reprinted by
land,andThomasE.Wartenberg(NewYork: permissionofKarenHanson.
Routledge, 1995): 49–67. This is a revised 27 LesterH.Hunt,‘‘MotionPicturesasaPhilo-
version of Chapter 10 in Wilson’s Narration sophical Resource,’’ first published in this
in Light: Studies in Cinematic Point of View volume.(cid:1)2006byBlackwellPublishingLtd.
(Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press,
1986): 191–207. Reprinted by permission of Every effort has been made to trace copyright
TheJohnsHopkinsUniversityPress. holdersandtoobtaintheirpermissionfortheuse
20 PaisleyLivingston,‘‘CinematicAuthorship,’’ ofcopyrightmaterial.Thepublisherapologizesfor
Film Theory and Philosophy, eds. Richard anyerrorsoromissionsintheabovelistandwould
AllenandMurraySmith(NewYork:Oxford be grateful if notified of any corrections that
University Press, 1997): 132–48. Reprinted should be incorporated in future reprints or edi-
bypermissionofOxfordUniversityPress. tionsofthisbook.
ix
NOE¨LCARROLLANDJINHEECHOI:PhilosophyofFilm 1405120266_4_intr FinalProof page 1 9.6.2005 6:57am
General Introduction
Intheeighteenthcentury,onlythewealthiestand tions. It would be surprising if a social enter-
most privileged persons could have had a theater prise as substantial as the motion picture did not
intheirownhomes.Buttodayinvirtueoftelevi- attract philosophical attention. Thus predictably,
sion, video cassette recorders, and DVD players, the philosophical literature pertaining to it, espe-
most citizens of the industrialized world have cially in recent years, has grown exponentially.
something very like a theater – and often two or Thisanthology, in part,is anacknowledgment of
more – in their households. These ‘‘theaters,’’ of thattrend.
course, do not feature live dramas, but rather But what does philosophical attention to the
motionpictures–picturesstoredonsomesortof motionpicturecomprise?Incontrasttoempirical
templatelikefilmandshowninawaythatimparts research, philosophy is the discipline that is pri-
the impression of movement. And from that im- marilypreoccupiedwiththe‘‘logic’’orconceptual
pression, moving images are born, vistas are frameworks of our practices.1 So a philosophical
opened,andstoriesaretold. perspectiveonthemotionpictureinvolvesattend-
Though many of us today might yearn for the ing to the conceptual frameworks of our motion
delicate and quaintly imaginative stagecraft of an picturepractices.Thisincludes:(1)theanalysisof
antique era, surely Vattel – the creator of spec- theconceptsandcategoriesthatorganizeourprac-
tacles for the Bourbon court – would envy the tices(forexample,askingwhatisfilmorwhatisa
magic-makingcapacitiesofthecontemporarymo- documentary?);(2)theclarificationoftherelations
tion picture artist. The display of fireworks and between those organizing concepts and categories
explosions,andthearmiesofclonesandwhatever (forexample,canwhatfallsunderthecategoryof
on view nightly in our living rooms and dens filmalsofallunderthecategoryofart,oristhere
would have staggered Vattel’s comprehension. somereasonthatprecludestheformerfrombeing
Perhapshismasterwouldhavegivenhiskingdom aninstanceofthelatter?);(3)theresolutionofthe
for one of our TVs. The development of the conceptualparadoxes,tensions,andcontradictions
motion picture has been an awesome step in the that the relevant practices appear to provoke (for
democratization of culture, providing the many example, how is it possible for us to fear fiction
withaccesstospectaclesofthetypethatheretofore films?);(4)theelucidationoftheformsofreason-
werethenormalfareoftheexceptionallyfeworof ing – the modes of connecting concepts – appro-
themanyonlyonspecialoccasions. priate to our practices (for example, what
Motionpictureshavebecomeafixtureofevery- techniques of interpretation are suitable or valid
day life in the modern world. They have been with respect to classic Hollywood movies?); and
integratedintoawidevarietyofculturalprocesses (5) the discovery of the metaphysical presupposi-
involving education and the communication of tions and entailments of the conceptual frame-
information, and they have spawned their own works of the relevant practices (for example,
practices – of art-making, entertainment, and whatkind ofnarrators, ontologicallyspeaking, do
documentary recording – with their own tradi- fictionfilmspresuppose?)
1