Stanley Cavell's The World Viewed
TLDRThis video examines film theorist Stanley Cavell's ideas on film's connection to reality and skepticism. It focuses on his 1971 book 'The World Viewed,' situating it as a work of classical film theory emphasizing realism. The summary analyzes Cavell's 'ordinary language' approach, distinguishing his photographic realism arguments from Bazin's. It also relates Cavell's concept of film as 'a moving image of skepticism' to philosophical skepticism about sensory perception and access to others' minds. Finally, it touches on Cavell's view that understanding film requires engaging with specific films through criticism.
Takeaways
- π Stanley Cavell was a philosopher interested in film and the connections between philosophy and art.
- π Cavell was associated with ordinary language philosophy, which examines how we use language in everyday contexts.
- π₯ Cavell sees film as connected to philosophical skepticism about our knowledge of the world.
- π Cavell argues photographs seem to give us direct access to the world beyond our senses.
- π€ Cavell's realism differs from Bazin's in seeing photography as satisfying a human wish, not just artists.
- π¬ Cavell values subjective experience of films over technical analysis.
- π Cavell emphasizes the role of criticism in theorizing about film as a medium.
- π₯ Cavell prefers classical Hollywood films over modernist cinema.
- π Cavell links his arguments through the theme of modernism.
- π The script summarizes Cavell's key ideas in his book The World Viewed.
Q & A
What school of philosophy is Stanley Cavell associated with?
-Stanley Cavell is primarily associated with ordinary language philosophy. This is a branch of philosophy that focuses on examining the ordinary uses of language to understand the meanings of words and concepts.
How does Cavell's view of film's relationship to skepticism differ from Bazin's view?
-While Bazin sees film as satisfying the artist's desire for realism in images, Cavell argues film satisfies the broader human wish to escape subjectivity and isolation. For Cavell, film relates to philosophical skepticism about knowledge of the external world, not just realism in art.
What does Cavell mean when he describes film as a 'moving image of skepticism'?
-He means that film provides the illusion of directly accessing the external world beyond the limits of our senses and subjectivity. So while not solving skepticism, film satisfies the wish to escape our isolation and separation from the world.
Why does Cavell emphasize the role of criticism in theorizing about film?
-Cavell argues you can't know what film is as a medium until you examine what specific films teach you through encounters in criticism. So criticism of individual films is fundamental for making claims about the medium overall.
What is ordinary language philosophy and why does Cavell use it?
-Ordinary language philosophy involves examining the actual uses of words in everyday language rather than speculating about their essence. Cavell uses this method to describe how we talk about photographs and why we might say they present the world itself.
What does Cavell value about the experience of watching and remembering films?
-Cavell values retaining a subjective, experiential encounter with a film over aspiring to technical objectivity in analysis. He thinks memory highlights this primacy of personal experience rather than certainty.
Why does Cavell have an aesthetic preference for classical Hollywood films?
-Cavell loves classical Hollywood for its ability to indirectly explore philosophical issues through genre conventions and clever dialogue, not overt stylization. He finds them richer than modernist films in accessing ordinary skepticism.
How are Bazin and Cavell's views on realism in film similar?
-Both argue film has an automated, mechanical connection to the objects it photographs, so it provides a view of the world less filtered through human subjectivity. But Cavell sees this as about skepticism, not just artistic realism.
What does Cavell mean when he says the aesthetic role of film's technology can't be specified apart from achievements in significant films?
-He means you can't deduce the artistic potential of film purely by examining its technological properties - things like celluloid, cameras, etc. You have to look at what great films have discovered to know the medium.
Why is modernism an important backdrop to Cavell's arguments?
-Cavell relates film to modern philosophical skepticism and sees classical Hollywood films as responding better to that then modernist films. So his view on film mediums ties to larger tensions between tradition/modernity.
Outlines
π Introduction to Stanley Cavell and The World Viewed
Introduces Stanley Cavell as a philosopher interested in film. His book The World Viewed is considered a work of classical film theory associated with film realism. The book focuses on film's relationship to philosophical skepticism, Cavell's preference for classical Hollywood cinema, and the importance of criticism.
π Contrasting Cavell's Film Realism with Bazin
Compares Cavell's realist arguments to those of Andre Bazin. Both see film as connected to material reality, but Cavell uses ordinary language philosophy, examining how we speak about photographs. Cavell sees photography as satisfying a universal human wish to escape subjectivity, not just an artistic wish for realism.
π Cavell on Skepticism and Film
Explains Cavell's interest in philosophical skepticism, the idea that we lack certainty about our knowledge of the external world. Cavell sees film as satisfying a wish to escape isolation and access the world directly. Photography seems to capture the world independently of human perception.
π Contrasting Cavell and Bazin on Photography
Further compares Cavell and Bazin. For Bazin, photography satisfied the artistic wish for realism in images. For Cavell, it satisfied the human wish to escape subjectivity and isolation, to access the world beyond our senses. A much larger claim.
π Cavell's Emphasis on Criticism
Discusses Cavell's belief that criticism, the analysis of individual artworks, is essential for film theory. He values subjective experience over technical analysis. Criticism teaches us what film as a medium can do by encountering specific films.
π Criticism as the Basis for Theorizing Film
Elaborates on the above. Cavell believes you cannot theorize film as a medium through abstract reflection, you need concrete encounters with films via criticism. Each film teaches something different about film's possibilities.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Stanley Cavell
π‘Ordinary Language Philosophy
π‘Philosophical Skepticism
π‘Realist Film Theory
π‘Classical Hollywood Cinema
π‘Ontology of Film
π‘Modernism
π‘Aesthetics
π‘Criticism
π‘Material World
Highlights
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Transcripts
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