Examined Life - best film ever on philosophy
Zeitgeist Films, one of my very favorite film distributors, has done it again. They are releasing a new film on philosophy, “Examined Life,” which is the best film I have ever seen on the subject. In less than two hours, the film interviews a group of the leading philosophers living today, but not in their offices or lecture halls but on the streets of the world. The philosophers talk about what “doing philosophy” means, and in fact, show while walking, riding in a cab, or shopping what serious thinking in our age really means. I found the film truly exhilirating, touching, funny, and profound. I can’t imagine a better way to introduce people what a great field of study philosophy has become.
The philosophers who are given their ten minutes are Cornel West, Avital Ronell, Peter Singer, Kwarne Anthony Appiah, Martha Nussbaum, Michael Hardt, Slavoj Zizek, Judith Butler and Sunaura Taylor. Actually, West is given more then 10 minutes since the film cuts back to him several times, talking in a cab and finally getting out on the street, only to greet some friends. I am somewhat familiar with West who is called “America’s leading public intellectual” which he may or may not be - I would chose Noam Chomsky probably for that accolate.
The director of this film has made an earlier film, “Zizek!” on Slavoj Zizek which I have seen. It is also distributed by Zeitgeist Films. (There is at least one other doc on Zizek and recently a new film showing Zizek talking about cinema has been released, “The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema,” which I really want to see.) I am most familiar with Singer, an Australian philosopher now living in the U.S. who has greatly influenced contemporary Anglo-American philosophy. He is also the subject of several films, one distributed by Bullfrog Films. Unfortunately, other than Michael Hardt, I have not even heard of the other philosophers but certainly plan on looking them up and reading some of their writings.
Ever since at least 1971, I have been interested in films about philosophy, graduating magna cum laude in philosophy from the University of Minnesota, home to the world’s first center on philosophy of science. I was a graduate student in philosophy from 1972-78 when I moved to WV. I studied with Herbert Feigl, the last living member of the Vienna Circle, and have wanted to make a film about the influential group of thinkers that infuenced all of 20th century philosophy. People like Wittgenstein, Karl Popper and Bertrand Russell are just some of the people influenced by the Vienna Circle which was a group of scientists who tried to save philosophy from Hegelian and other forms of metaphysical thinking. Unfortunately, as far as I know, no one has made such a film, but as I wrote in a published paper, “The Golden Age of Films on Philosophy,” people who have an interest in philosophy now have a large group of films that should excite them. ( As far as I know, NO philosophical publication even reviews films about philosophy.)
Several years ago, I started to write a proposal to make a film similar to “Examined Life.” I had recruited my friend Les Blank to go with me around the world to interview “The Smartest People in the World” and had asked the WV Commission on the Arts for funds. The director asked me, “But Steve, what does this film have to do with West Virginia?” My response, ” I live in West Virginia.” That wasn’t enough to get the film going, but I did begin a more intense search to find what films about philosophy do exist.
I even ran into a Polish-American filmmaker, Pawel Kucznyski, who has made several amazing films about philosophy including “Philosophers Paradise,” “Light Denied,” “Phenomenology of Truth,” and “Friedrich and Elisabeth.” Pawel makes films that are poetic and very intense. I hope that many more people who see films like “Examined Life” will also get a chance to see some of this amazing films.
