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On Film
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.
152 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2001
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September 1, 2008
I recently volunteered to write an article on the second edition of Stephen Mulhall's On Film. The first edition was part of Routledge's "Thinking in Action" series--a series of short books by philosophers that are intended for a general, non-specialist audience. In On Film, Mulhall offered a series of subtle explications of the Alien movies. He also used them to reflect on the philosophic significance of films. Mulhall explained in his introduciton that he was troubled by certain approaches in film studies--particularly by the tendency among film theorists to treat films as mere fodder for theory. By contrast, he proposed to show, via his analysis of the Alien films, that films could themselves engage in philosophic reflection. This might not sound particularly radical, but it is, I find, an interesting idea. Mulhall's thought, as I understand it, was that the depiction of sexuality and embodiment in, say, the first Alien film could constitute an actual refutation of, say, Freud.
Mulhall chose to reflect on the Alien movies in particular because they constitute a series of sequals each of which has been directed by a different director (Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet). This intrigued him partly because it suggested that each director could be understood as engaged in something like philosophic reflection. Each inherited a well-developed narrative world, one that reflected substantive philosophic claims about personhood, identity, sexuality, etc., and each director, in turn, was faced with the question of how they would modify this fiction world, what philosophic positions they would set out to refute, defend, etc. The recently published second edition, which is considerably longer--so long, in fact, that it no longer qualifies for inclusion in the "Thinking in Action Series"--applies this methodology to the Mission Impossible movies, each of which has also been directed by a different director.
Let me say a few words about what I find to be the flaws of Mulhall's book before praising it. Mulhall's notion of "film as philosophy" is, I find, a bit vague and underdeveloped. He makes an explicit effort in Part Two of the second edition to reply to critics and to clarify his view, but I still find him to be a bit evasive on what it means, exactly, for a film to philosophize in "just the way that philosophers do." Also, his analyses of the Mission Impossible films felt a little rushed to me. He gave me a whole new appreciation of MI: I and MI: III. (I thought the first was horrible and skipped seeing the third altogether; Mulhall now has me convinced that they're both pretty deep.) However, I found his his claims about MI: II to be unconvincing. In general, the additions to the book aren't as substantial the incredibly subtle and original analyses of the Alien films that constituted the first edition and that now make up the "Part One" of the second edition.
These quibbles aside, On Film is an excellent book. Mulhall is skeptical of film theory, although he is careful to document his credential with it in his book's footnote. As a result, his analyses of the various films he discusses are very readable. Reading On Film feels like watching a DVD commentary by an extremely thoughtful and articulate film critic. Mulhall's love of the films he discusses, too, is palpable and infectious. I cancelled my Netflix a while ago, but I actually restarted my subscription just so that I could re-watch the films Mulhall discusses in his book. Mulhall's book isn't for everyone. But if you have any interest in science fiction, the Alien films, sequeldom, and the role of celebrity in our appreciation of film, then I highly recommend this book.
Mulhall chose to reflect on the Alien movies in particular because they constitute a series of sequals each of which has been directed by a different director (Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet). This intrigued him partly because it suggested that each director could be understood as engaged in something like philosophic reflection. Each inherited a well-developed narrative world, one that reflected substantive philosophic claims about personhood, identity, sexuality, etc., and each director, in turn, was faced with the question of how they would modify this fiction world, what philosophic positions they would set out to refute, defend, etc. The recently published second edition, which is considerably longer--so long, in fact, that it no longer qualifies for inclusion in the "Thinking in Action Series"--applies this methodology to the Mission Impossible movies, each of which has also been directed by a different director.
Let me say a few words about what I find to be the flaws of Mulhall's book before praising it. Mulhall's notion of "film as philosophy" is, I find, a bit vague and underdeveloped. He makes an explicit effort in Part Two of the second edition to reply to critics and to clarify his view, but I still find him to be a bit evasive on what it means, exactly, for a film to philosophize in "just the way that philosophers do." Also, his analyses of the Mission Impossible films felt a little rushed to me. He gave me a whole new appreciation of MI: I and MI: III. (I thought the first was horrible and skipped seeing the third altogether; Mulhall now has me convinced that they're both pretty deep.) However, I found his his claims about MI: II to be unconvincing. In general, the additions to the book aren't as substantial the incredibly subtle and original analyses of the Alien films that constituted the first edition and that now make up the "Part One" of the second edition.
These quibbles aside, On Film is an excellent book. Mulhall is skeptical of film theory, although he is careful to document his credential with it in his book's footnote. As a result, his analyses of the various films he discusses are very readable. Reading On Film feels like watching a DVD commentary by an extremely thoughtful and articulate film critic. Mulhall's love of the films he discusses, too, is palpable and infectious. I cancelled my Netflix a while ago, but I actually restarted my subscription just so that I could re-watch the films Mulhall discusses in his book. Mulhall's book isn't for everyone. But if you have any interest in science fiction, the Alien films, sequeldom, and the role of celebrity in our appreciation of film, then I highly recommend this book.
April 9, 2020
Mulhall uses the Alien film series (the four original films) as the basis for his discussion about filmmaking, with connected essays about later films that the four directors (Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet) made after their work in the franchise. So readers don't just get a look at how the Alien series evolved, but also how the individual films connect to films like Blade Runner, Terminator 2, and Se7en.
This is an interesting book in that shows how film critics and film buffs may diverge. Most film critics dismissed Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection, but Mulhall finds plenty to enjoy in each one. In fact, Mulhall is now the third professional philosopher I've read who enjoyed Alien 3 (Richard Kearney analyzes it in Strangers, Gods and Monsters, and Gerard Loughlin talks about in Alien Sex: The Body and Desire in Cinema and Theology). This may indicate that film critics' priorities make them miss what makes certain kinds of films good, or perhaps just means that film can say fascinating things even when they aren't good films overall.
Mulhall gives some great insights which not only inform how viewers will watch the Alien franchise, but also impact how they analyze and assess film in general. Occasionally, Mulhall gives insights which don't seem to clearly connect to the moments he's describing in the films, which may mean he's over-analyzing or just using technical language which makes it hard to see his line or reasoning.
All told, a fascinating entry to the Thinking in Action series.
This is an interesting book in that shows how film critics and film buffs may diverge. Most film critics dismissed Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection, but Mulhall finds plenty to enjoy in each one. In fact, Mulhall is now the third professional philosopher I've read who enjoyed Alien 3 (Richard Kearney analyzes it in Strangers, Gods and Monsters, and Gerard Loughlin talks about in Alien Sex: The Body and Desire in Cinema and Theology). This may indicate that film critics' priorities make them miss what makes certain kinds of films good, or perhaps just means that film can say fascinating things even when they aren't good films overall.
Mulhall gives some great insights which not only inform how viewers will watch the Alien franchise, but also impact how they analyze and assess film in general. Occasionally, Mulhall gives insights which don't seem to clearly connect to the moments he's describing in the films, which may mean he's over-analyzing or just using technical language which makes it hard to see his line or reasoning.
All told, a fascinating entry to the Thinking in Action series.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews