Wartenberg, Tom - Thinking Inside the Frame: How Films Philosophize (manuscript)

11/17/2006

Unpublished, Chapters 6-8

Chapter 6 is a discussion of the filming of philosophy in the movie The Third Man. Author argues this movie is a filming of Aristotle's discussion on the nature of friendship and what it takes to break a relationship with a friend and for what reasons. First the protagonist proves he is a friend by resisting the 'slander' of his friend by another, and he tries to solve his friend's death out of loyalty, then he is turned from being his friend by an 'up-close' and 'movie-like' viewing of the friend's bad deeds, but he remains unwilling to help the police catch him. This, author claims, mirrors the extended discussion of when to dissolve a relationship in Aristotle. Finally the protagonist turns in the former friend due to full realization of his bad deeds. This, author claims, is doing philosophy since it deals with a real example of Aristotle's hypothetical discussion on the nature of friendship.

Chapter 7 discusses two structural films, Empire and Flicker. Both, author claims, comment on the nature of film itself, and qualify as doing philosophy insofar as philosophizing about film is philosophy. Empire films the empire state building as night comes in, filming a static object and is conveying stasis. Since essentialist analyses of film said it was necessary for film to show motion, this is a counterexample, or at least adding that film is the only thing that can show stasis as well.

Flicker also adds to the philosophy of film in that it shows that objects do not need to be filmed in order to show motion and shape. Since Flicker is just blacked out film frames and white film frames in different successions, there are no objects or motions shown. Author claims that eventually the viewer sees motion, color and objects in an optical illusion effect. So the film itself does not contain motion or objects but they are seen anyway. Author claims this is chaning the philosophical analysis of film.

Chapter 8 is the summary and conclusion chapter. Author emphasizes the importance of counterexamples and thought experiments in philo and re-hashes the three objections given in the beginning of the book. Author also explains the need to have philosophy enter the public arena more than it has before, and that film might be a good way to do that.