On Film
eBook - ePub

On Film

  1. 160 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

On Film

About this book

First published in 2002. Few movies have captured our imagination as deeply and enduringly as those of the 'Alien' quartet, which follow the odyssey of Sigourney Weaver's Flight Lieutenant Ellen Ripley. In this gripping and limpidly written book, Stephen Mulhall shows why these films fascinate us, by showing that they are compelling examples of philosophy in action. Bringing a philosopher's eye to cinema, he argues that the 'Alien' films take us deep into the question of what it is to be human. By developing the sexual significance of the aliens themselves and of Ripley's resistance to them, these films explore the relation of human identity to the body, in the context of a hyper-Darwinian universe which both sharpens and subverts the distinction between the natural and the technological, and which pits the hope of redemption against nihilism. The book also considers the nature of 'sequeldom· in contemporary cinema. What is the relation between each 'Alien· movie's distinctive plot and the overarching narrative of the 'Alien' universe? How does the work of each director who has contributed to the 'Alien· series relate to the themes of their other films, such as Ridley Scott's Bladerunner, James Cameron's Terminator and David Fincher's Se7en? On Film is essential reading for anyone interested in film, philosophy and cultural and visual studies, and in the way philosophy can enrich our understanding of cinema.

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Index

abortion 26, 58, 63
Abyss,The 78-9
acknowledgement 34-5, 36-7, 40, 44-5, 48, 51, 83, 124, 131,133-4
acting 87-8
adolescence 129
Alien 13-32, 47, 62, 67
Aliens 67-78, 94, 128, 130, 132
Alien3 11, 91-108, 111, 117
Alien Resurrection 10, 119-36
auteur theory 5, 49-51, 62-3, 93-4

birth 16, 20, 59, 70-1, 78-9, 121,127, 132-4
Blade Runner 33-51
Buffy the Vampire Slayer 129

Cain 32
camera 49-52
Cameron, James 4, 27, 56-7, 67-8, 69-72, 77-8, 79, 85, 96, 101, 102, 138n4, n5
Carroll, Gordon 4
Cavell, Stanley 17-18, 64-5, 87
children 35-6, 71-3, 76, 83, 106, 113, 122-6, 133-4, 138n5
Christianity 41-2, 47, 61-3, 97-100...

Table of contents

  1. Front Cover
  2. On Film
  3. Thinking in Action
  4. Title
  5. Copyright
  6. Dedication
  7. Contents
  8. Introduction
  9. Kane’s Son, Cain’s Daughter: One
  10. Making Babies: Two
  11. Mourning Sickness: Three
  12. The Monster’s Mother: Four
  13. Notes
  14. Index