Philosophy, Myth and Epic Cinema: Beyond Mere Illusions

213 Pages·2014·1.726 MB·English

by  Sylvie Magerstädt

Philosophy, Myth and Epic Cinema

Philosophy, Myth and Epic Cinema
Beyond Mere Illusions
Sylvie Magerstädt
London•NewYork
PublishedbyRowman&LittlefieldInternational,Ltd.
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Copyright©2015bySylvieMagerstädt
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyany
electronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorageandretrievalsystems,
withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhomayquote
passagesinareview.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationInformationAvailable
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
ISBN:HB978-1-78348-250-4
ISBN:PB978-1-78348-251-1
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Magerstädt,Sylvie
Philosophy,mythandepiccinema:beyondmereillusions/SylvieMagerstädt.
pagescm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Includesfilmography.
ISBN978-1-78348-250-4(cloth:alk.paper)—ISBN978-1-78348-251-1(pbk.:alk.paper)—
ISBN978-1-78348-252-8(ebook:alk.paper)
1.Motionpictures—Philosophy.2.Mythinmotionpictures.I.Title.
PN1995.M24352015
791.4301—dc23
2014036549
TMThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsofAmerican
NationalStandardforInformationSciencesPermanenceofPaperforPrintedLibrary
Materials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations ix
Introduction:Philosophy,MythandSpectacle xi
ChapterOutline xv
Notes xx
I:HowRealIsReality?—AReviewontheRelationofReality,
ArtandIllusion
1 FromDreamFactorytoCathedralsofPopCulture:
Mythological,ReligiousandIdeologicalApproachesto
Cinema 3
WhyWeNeedIllusions:Nietzsche’sPhilosophyofArt 4
FromTragicHeroestoJediKnights—CinemaasModern
Myth 18
Conclusion 28
Notes 28
2 TheRealmoftheReal:Reality,ImagesandCinematic
Realism 31
SeeingIsBelieving—KracauerandtheRedemptionof
PhysicalReality 34
Realism,NotReality:Kracauer,BazinandtheProblemof
GrandNarratives 52
Conclusion 54
Notes 55
3 BacktotheFuture?:ContemporaryCinemaandthe
ChallengesforTheorists 57
Images,Action,Thought:Deleuze’sPhilosophyofCinema 58
BraveNewWorlds:LivingDinosaurs,CGIandaNew
Aesthetics 71
Conclusion 79
Notes 80
v
vi Contents
II:MayWeReallyBelieveinHollywood?—TheCreationof
ModernMyths
4 RedemptionThroughIllusion:CinematicMyths 85
Never-endingStories—Redemption,Storytellingand
ArtisticCreation 86
TheMythtoRuleThemAll:TheHobbitandTheLordofthe
RingsFilmTrilogies 92
Conclusion 116
Notes 117
5 HealthyIllusions:Hollywood’sRealismandtheReturnof
theEpics 119
TruthasTotalization—Movement-Images,Action-
ThoughtandHistory 121
HeroesinAction:AncientTroyinModernEpics 132
Conclusion 148
Notes 149
6 PossibleWorlds,ImpossibleNarratives?:ThePotentials
andLimitsofDigitalStorytelling 151
PostmodernHeroesinClassicMyths:Storytellinginthe
DigitalAge 155
NewGods?ClashoftheTitansandtheFutureofCinema 160
Conclusion 172
Notes 173
Epilogue:FurtherReflectionsandFutureDirections 175
Bibliography 179
Filmography 185
Index 187
Acknowledgements
A large number of people have provided inspiration, support and feed-
back for this project. To start with, I would like to thank my employer,
theUniversityofHertfordshire,foritsongoingsupportandinparticular
the Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities Research Institute (SSAHRI),
who provided me with a grant that facilitated the completion of this
book. I am also grateful to Uriel Orlow and Joram ten Brink from the
UniversityofWestminsteraswellasStephenMulhall,UniversityofOx-
ford,fortheircommentsandfeedbackonearlierversionsofthisresearch
project.Inaddition,Iwouldliketothanktheunnamedreviewersofthis
manuscript for their input, as well as John Davenport for his extensive
and extremely helpful feedback on this work. Finally, I would like to
express my gratitude to my editor Sarah Campbell at Rowman & Little-
field International, for her faith in this book and her encouragement
throughthereviewprocess.
Most importantly, I am forever indebted to my parents, Bernd and
Gisela, for their inspiring examples and their continuous love and sup-
port. Last but not least, I owe more than I could express here to my
wonderful partner John, whose love, support and extensive library is
alwaystherewhenneeded.Youaremyinspiration.
vii