Narrative, film, and identity how cinema impacts the meaning of life by William C. Pamerleau

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pamerleau, William C., author.

Series:

Value inquiry book series. Philosophy of film

Value inquiry book series 0929-8436 volume 398

Philosophy of film

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motion pictures--Philosophy.

Motion pictures.

Narration (Rhetoric)--Philosophy.

Narration (Rhetoric).

Identity (Psychology) in motion pictures.

Self in motion pictures.

Genre:

Film criticism

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Leiden Boston Brill [2025]

Summary:

"The chapters progress from theoretical foundations to more applied investigations, with more detailed film analysis occurring in the later chapters. In Chapter 1, the focus is on establishing a conception of life narratives that will be used throughout the remainder of the book. It begins with a discussion of the original theories of narrative identity as they were developed by philosophers, and here I lay out the basic mechanics of narrative construction: namely, the process of selecting, connecting, and interpreting narrative elements to form narrative structures. I also discuss how the meaning of life is constituted in large part through this narrative process and how that sort of meaning squares with the views of philosophers who investigate the meaning of life more generally. The original theories of narrative identity have been subject to a variety of criticisms, however, so much of this chapter also explores the debate about the adequacy of narratives as a way of accounting for lived experience. I conclude with a qualified account of narratives, opting for the more general reference to "life narratives" rather than "narrative identity," given the latter term's problematic emphasis on identity and the perennial philosophical questions surrounding it. Having accounted for life narratives, Chapter 2 begins with a discussion of film narratives, shifting to work by film theorists and philosophers of film. The second half of the chapter provides an overview of the ways in which life narratives impact film narratives and vice versa, particularly with respect to the meaning of life. It introduces how we can experience a film as meaningful, how movies can sustain problematic stereotypes in our life narratives, and how films can provide resources for exploring new avenues of meaning in our lives. The purpose of this chapter is to give the reader an overall sense of a new perspective on film and spectator experience, setting the stage for more detailed investigations in later chapters. Chapter 3 completes the theoretical groundwork while simultaneously offering an example of what can be done with this new perspective by investigating an approach to film realism. Specifically, after canvasing some pertinent existing theories of realism, I argues for what I refer to as "narrative realism,"the view that a film, or at least an aspect of a film, is realistic when it depicts narratives that could be possible life narratives - that the actual world, as narrated by us, could be like the world of the film in some relevant way. This will be important, because for a film to impact our life narratives, it must be possible for the film narratives to be substantively like our life narratives, or vice versa. Chapters 4 through Six provide more detailed and complete investigations of the connections between life and film narratives begun in the previous chapters. Chapter 4 investigates the experience of finding a film meaningful, a kind of spectator activity that hasn't been directly investigated in film scholarship. Viewer responses to The Seventh Seal provide an example of what this chapter is about. Chapter 5 looks at the tendency of films to limit our narratives or impose oppressive perceptions and attitudes. It therefore explores some negative effects of film's impact on the meaning of life. And Chapter 6 shows that cinema can have the opposite effect too, broadening our ability to make a meaningful life narrative by expanding or introducing new perspectives and new ways of being in the world and by giving more agency to underrepresented groups by combating oppressive stereotypes. I also consider how some narrative structures, like open narratives, can make us aware of the contingent nature of life narratives and our ability to rewrite them"--Provided by publisher

Contents:

Front Cover

Half Title

Series Information

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Meaning and Narrative

1 The Narrative Self

1.1 Narrative Structure

1.2 Narrative Identity

2 Meaning and Narrative

3 Narrative and Meaning in Life

3.1 Subjectivists and Objectivists

3.2 Meaning of Life

3.3 Meaning in Life

4 Objections to Narrative Identity

4.1 The Self Is Not the Same Thing as the Narrated Life

4.2 Narrative Inaccurately Describes Our Life as We Experience It

4.3 The Narrative Process Distorts What Is Valuable about Life

5 Refining the Narrative Approach

6 Conclusion

Chapter 2 Meaning and Film

1 Spectator Activity and Film Narrative

1.1 Cognitivist Spectator Theories

1.2 Spectator Activity and Emotions

2 Experiencing Films as Meaningful

2.1 An Experience Unaccounted for by Film Scholars

2.2 The Role of Life Narratives

3 Shaping Viewer Narratives

3.1 Shaping Perceptions and Sustaining Stereotypes

3.2 Making More Meaningful Narratives

4 Conclusion

Chapter 3 Narrative Realism

1 Defining "Realism"

2 Narrative Realism

2.1 A Multifaceted Approach

2.2 Realism Depends on Interest

2.3 Creating New Possibilities

3 Narrative Distortion

3.1 Objections to Narrative Realism

3.2 Defending Narrative Realism: Real Narratives and Truth

3.3 Defending Narrative Realism: The Differences between Film Narratives and Life Narratives

Chapter 4 Meaningful Films

1 Film Viewing as Meaningful Experience

1.1 The Emotion of Meaningfulness

1.2 Does the Personal Nature of Life Narratives Limit Theoretical Analysis?

2 An Analysis of Meaningful Films

2.1 Good Will Hunting

2.2 American Beauty

2.3 Winter Light

3 Conclusion

Chapter 5 Cinema's Effect on Social Narratives

1 The Social Nature of Narratives

2 The Impact of Film on Social Narratives

3 A Narrative Approach to Prejudice and Discrimination in Film

3.1 Schemas

3.2 Selection

3.3 Immersion

Chapter 6 Expanding Narrative Possibilities

1 Making Meaningful Narratives: Clarifying the Scope of Moral Principles

1.1 Engaging Existing Moral Perspectives

1.2 Effects on Agency

2 Creating New Moral Perspectives

2.1 Virtue and Moral Examples

2.2 Moral Examples in Fictional Narratives

3 Expanding Resources for Constructing Meaningful Identities

4 Challenging Narratives

4.1 Renewal Narratives

4.2 Upsetting Narrative Forms

5 Conclusion

Conclusion

Bibliography

Filmography (by Director)

Index

Back Cover

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description based upon print version of record

Other Format:

Print version Pamerleau, William C. Narrative, film, and identity

ISBN:

9789004711082

9004711082

OCLC:

1463766676

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license