Special software is required to use some of the files in this section: .rm.
During the spring of 2004, four sessions of 24.209 were recorded especially for OpenCourseWare. Below are links to the videos, along with breakdowns of the video content.
These files are also available from iTunes® and YouTube™.
Session 1
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| 1 | Introduction to the class and to the aesthetics of film; explanation of syllabus. | 00:00:10 | | 2 | Discussion of "The Lady Eve" (1941), a film by Sturges, a contemporary of Orson Welles. Film will be shown in this week's class; scholar Marian Keane's commentary, an important example of a woman's perspective on the film, will be shown next week. | 00:01:20 | | 3 | Looking at movies is an art form and a skill that requires training. Prof. Singer brings to this course the perspective of a philosopher, which is not the case in all film courses. | 00:08:30 | | 4 | Singer's philosophy of teaching: he is willing to make himself available and put himself forward as an artist does; teaching is a form of self-expression, like art. | 00:13:15 | | 5 | On philosophy in film and other media (versus the philosophy of film). The idea that film is a respectable art with philosophical content, not just entertainment, is fairly new within the academy (within the last 20 years). | 00:20:03 | | 6 | How can films be philosophical? Singer's book Reality Transformed
addresses this by looking at the concepts of formalism and realism together. Formalists can be characterized by their use of the camera, techniques of cinematography, structural issues (i.e., Hitchcock, who was a master of
technique). Realists, as described by French theorist Andre Bazin, see the importance of film as part of the human desire to capture reality. | 00:25:04 | | 7 | Singer argues that films can't be appreciated unless you savor what they mean; without technique, there is no meaning, and without meaning, technique has no human importance. Only when you see formalism and realism in constant dialectic and interaction can you appreciate what a film is capable of. | 00:32:30 | | 8 | On the role of myths and mythmaking in film. How do stories reach people? Discussion of various myths of love and how they have been dealt with
in film. | 00:36:40 | | 9 | Continuing overview of syllabus and films to be screened throughout semester. | 00:41:27 | | 10 | Review of course expectations and requirements. | 00:53:36 |
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Session 2
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| 1 | Review of previous session. | 00:00:04 | | 2 | How does one apply philosophical analysis of any sort to a work of art such as a movie? | 00:04:24 | | 3 | What is the meaning of the tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden? How is this philosophically important? | 00:08:14 | | 4 | There is an overlap between science, technology, and art. Mathematics can be thought of as a theoretical art. | 00:17:02 | | 5 | Fundamental question of Reality Transformed: Formalists vs. Realists | 00:23:09 | | 6 | Three Philosophical Filmmakers - all 3 filmmakers are both formalists and realists in their own ways. | 00:30:10 | | 7 | Are films the modern medium of choice for myth-making and disseminating philosophy? | 00:32:50 | | 8 | Hitchcock emphasizes "reality effect" - emphasis on formalism, but striving to bring out realism. Similar to realism portrayed in "The Green Mile." | 00:38:28 | | 9 | Assigning biblical characters to "The Lady Eve." Which characters are Adam and Eve? Who is the snake? | 00:43:01 | | 10 | The myth of the whore/virgin - can the two be harmonized in "The Lady Eve"? Jean journeys from one to the other throughout the movie. | 00:53:55 |
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Session 3
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| 1 | Edward Song's comments on the week's reading and movie. | 00:02:24 | | 2 | David Levinson's comments on the week's reading and movie. | 00:03:50 | | 3 | Film can focus attention on different aspects of the performance with more specificity than a live performance. This is borne out in the commentary for "The Lady Eve." | 00:08:55 | | 4 | Discussion of camera work as described in Three Philosophical Filmmakers, as compared to the camera work in "The Lady Eve." | 00:16:07 | | 5 | Where / how is the character Charles in "The Lady Eve" likely to find love? What is the nature of love between human beings? Between humans and pets? How is this reflected in the cinematic voice of the filmmaker? | 00:22:43 | | 6 | Discussion of the quality of the cinematography in "Amélie," and the ideals of romantic love (Chekhov short story). | 00:29:12 | | 7 | Did the character Eve in "The Lady Eve" sell out in the end of the movie? | 00:38:14 |
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Session 4
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| 1 | Discussion of Miguel's paper #2 topics: "Rebel Without a Cause" and how teenagers deal with death. | 00:01:35 | | 2 | Discussion of Edward's paper #2 topics: the ideological contrast presented by the knight and his squire in "The Seventh Seal." | 00:11:59 | | 3 | Discussion of David's paper #2 topics: Responding to Heidegger's position on death and religion, using "The Seventh Seal." | 00:18:25 | | 4 | Discussion of Cathy's paper #2 topics: Three main myths depicted in "8 1/2." | 00:24:43 | | 5 | Discussion of Terry's paper #2 topics: Theological representations in "The Seventh Seal." | 00:29:55 | | 6 | Discussion of Lauren's paper #2 topics: How does the meaning of life affect the outlook of each character in "The Seventh Seal"? | 00:45:32 | | 7 | Discussion of Phillip's paper #2 topics: How imagination enhances meaning in life, as seen in "Life Is Beautiful" and "Amélie." | 00:48:00 | | 8 | Discussion of Peter's paper #2 topics: Contrast between self love and selfishness in relation to "Pride and Prejudice." | 00:52:36 |
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