New Philosophies of Film: An Introduction to Cinema as a Way of Thinking

by Robert Sinnerbrink

Overview

What can philosophy teach us about cinema? Can cinema transform how we understand philosophy? How should we describe the competing approaches to philosophizing on film? New Philosophies of Film answers these questions by offering a lucid introduction to the exciting developments and contentious debates within the philosophy of film. Mapping out the conceptual terrain, it examines both analytic and continental approaches to cinema and puts forward a pluralist film philosophy, grounded in practical examples from film, documentaries and television series.

Now thoroughly updated to showcase the most recent developments in the field, this 2nd edition features:

· New chapters on phenomenology, cinematic ethics, philosophical documentary film and television as philosophy, incorporating feminist, socio-political, ethical and ecological approaches to cinema
· Contemporary case studies including Carol, Roma, Melancholia, two Derrida documentaries, and the Netflix series Black Mirror
· Expanded coverage of Gilles Deleuze and Stanley Cavell, two of the most influential philosophers of film
· An updated bibliography, filmography and reading lists, with links to online resources to support further study

Demonstrating how the film-philosophy encounter can open up new paths for thinking, New Philosophies of Film is an essential resource for putting interdisciplinary inquiry into practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350181922
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/25/2022
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	6.15(w) x 9.15(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Robert Sinnerbrink is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Macquarie University, Australia.

Table of Contents

List of Figures
Preface: Philosophical Film Theory Today
Introduction: Why Did Philosophy Go to the Movies?
Part I: The Analytic-Cognitivist Turn
1. The Empire Strikes Back: Critiques of 'Grand Theory'
2. The Rules of the Game: New Ontologies of Film
3. Adaptation: Philosophical Approaches to Narrative
Part II: From Cognitivism to Phenomenology to Film-Philosophy
4. A.I: Cognitivism Goes to the Movies
5. Body Double: Adventures in Phenomenology
6. Bande à part: Deleuze's Cine-Philosophy
7. Now, Voyager: Cavell as Film-Philosopher
8. Scenes from a Marriage: The “Film as Philosophy”
9. What is Cinematic Ethics?: Cuáron's Roma (2018) as Case Study
Part III: Cinematic Thinking
10. Photobiographies: The 'Derrida' Documentaries as Film-Philosophy
11. Planet Melancholia (2011): Romanticism, Mood, and Cinematic Ethics
12. Television as Philosophy: Reflections on Black Mirror
Conclusion: A Dialogue on the Future of Film-Philosophy
Notes
Appendix: Further Reading, Online Resources, Websites
Bibliography
Filmography
Index

Editorial Reviews

A valuable book for advanced students and scholars in film studies/film theory, and for philosophers concerned with the art of film.” —Choice (of the first edition)

“A body of philosophical work has begun to accumulate around the provocation of cinema. Sinnerbrink enters the fray as a critical narrator of the history of this burgeoning philosophical enterprise as well as a participant in it and [...] makes an important contribution on both accounts.” —Notre Dame Philosophical Review (of the first edition)

“Sinnerbrink's book will add a dose of welcome scepticism to anyone embarking on the consideration of some recent developments in anglophone film studies [...] Sinnerbrink injects life into his consideration of the cognitivists by means of adroit illustration from examples of his own choosing which display a cinephile's reservoir of resources – not always something that can be said of commentators content to use the same filmic examples as do their sources. This aspect is one of the many pleasures of Sinnerbrink's addition to the growing body of work in this field.” —Radical Philosophy (of the first edition)

“This book is not merely a second edition of Sinnerbrink's groundbreaking study. It is a fresh upgrade of his argument on philosophical insight emerging through an engagement with cinematic aesthetics, describing with dazzling intensity how films embody debates on cinematic ethics and ontology. A must-read for all cinephiles beyond academia.” —Tarja Laine, Assistant Professor, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

“Robert Sinnerbrink is the scholar and writer best capable of moving gracefully and clearly between the disparate major approaches to film theory, the philosophy of film, and film-philosophy. This new edition identifies points of contact between phenomenological and cognitive film theory in relation to ethics, politics, and new media. For anyone interested in making sense of the major strains of the philosophy of film and their ethical implications, this book is highly recommended.” —Carl Plantinga, Arthur H. De Kruyter Chair of Communication, Calvin University, USA

“This revised and updated edition includes television in Sinnerbrink's film-philosophy orbit and confirms this work as an indispensable overview of the field, as well as providing a further set of lucid and valuable case studies.” —Lucy Bolton, Reader in Film Studies, Queen Mary University of London, UK

From the Publisher