Filozofska istraživanja, Vol. 40 No. 4, 2020.
Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.21464/fi40401
Film as Philosophy: The Wittgenstein Case
Marko Kardum
orcid.org/0000-0002-0797-6677
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Fakultet hrvatskih studija, Borongajska cesta 83d, HR–10000 Zagreb
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between film and philosophy, especially in the light of Wittgenstein’s philosophy and his claim that a (motion) picture represents the world better than the language itself and that, in that sense, it has philosophical relevance. It starts with an often made comparison of film illustrating philosophy, film about philosophy or philosophers, and film as philosophy. While the first two types are not particularly philosophically relevant or theoretically challenging and therefore not considered to be problematic, the third concept shows the opposite, and it is approached within Wittgenstein’s philosophy. Namely, it is necessary to show why film as motion picture would even be possible for Wittgenstein as philosophy, or more precisely, what it is exactly that enables the film to be like philosophy. To illustrate this, Wittgenstein’s philosophy is analysed, with an emphasis on the difference between the early and late phase of his work. Yet his two philosophical studies, paradigmatic for these phases, show a certain continuity in consideration of images. Foremostly, they supply the primary argument that image, and by extension film as a series of images, best represents the world, that is, that for Wittgenstein it stands as a twodimensional model. Since it is possible to show that image for Wittgenstein does not depend on linguistic interpretation, it can be shown that film as philosophy is possible precisely but not exclusively from the angle of Wittgenstein’s philosophical work. This treats the image as an independent bearer of meaning, which ultimately results in understanding Wittgenstein’s philosophy as directly opposed to the Western philosophical tradition. Thus, one of the possible interpretations of film’s philosophical relevance is possible to find in Wittgenstein’s understanding of pictures.
Keywords
Ludwig Wittgenstein; film; film as philosophy; image; language
Hrčak ID:
251488
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2020.
Visits: 2.805 *