I am sure you will all be surprised to learn that I used film to relate all the theorists together. Basically, I examined each theorist and (with a little bit of brainstorming help from Pax and Caitlin) decided what each theorist's favorite film (or at least, one of their favorite films) would be. The results (in their own "words:):
- Plato: I would never watch movies--they're copies of copies; sometimes they're even copies of copies of copies. But... if I had to pick one film, it would be The Matrix. After all, that film illustrates that nothing of this world is real. But the film isn't real, either, so it's kind of a lost cause.
- Aristotle: I would say one of my favorite films is Titanic. The love story and the woman I can do with out, but the tragic demise of Jack--a young boy who got onto the vessel by pure chance--is an example of tragedy at its finest.
- Maimonides: My vote is for The Ten Commandments. This epic film offers an alternative interpretation of scripture that is sometimes useful, sometimes not, but always worth considering. It also illustrates my ideas of a "flash of insight" through God's revelation of his will and commands directly to Moses.
- Augustine: A great collection to watch that illustrates my theories is Monty Python. After all, a knowledge of the cultural context and an understanding of British puns is generally required to fully comprehend the humor in it. Know your context and know your language!
- de Pizan: My favorite film is Mamma Mia! That film depicts a group of strong, independent women who are capable of living life on their own, with or without men. The quest to find the true father is secondary to preserving the relationships between the mother and daughter during this monumental time in the daughter's life.
- Sidney: One of my favorite films is Avatar. The plot may not be necessarily original or inspiring, but it's a beautiful film, full of wonderful images and pieces of dialogue.
- Barthes: I really enjoy the film Adaptation. It doesn't reflect my theories so much as it reflects an abrupt change. The last third of the film has a significantly different goal and tone of the first two thirds of the film--much like my own life as I transitioned from theory to theory.
- Schleiermacher: I particularly like the Ocean's Trilogy. Those characters have to know their targets almost better than they know themselves, which is necessary for them to accomplish their goals in each film. That's the same way we should treat literature.
- Hume: The Godfather is a favorite of mine. It has withstood the test of time, receiving acclaim both when it was released and many decades later. It has withstood the test of time, signifying its importance as a work of art.
- Wollstonecraft: I thoroughly appreciated the movie Enough, as it gives a positive, strong view of women. The lead female is subject to the male's abuses at first, but she eventually fights back and claims her own place in society--just what women should do with the educations they ought to be receiving.
- Marx/Engles: We liked the Harry Potter series, particularly the latter two movies, as it has symbols which illustrates our ideas of commodification. Voldemort is so devoted to his work to becoming an overlord that he literally divides himself up so as to achieve his goal. He loses more and more of his identity as he progresses in his goals.
- Horkheimer/Adorno: Well, we really liked the film I, Robot because it illustrates the dangers of mass production. The robots in the film are so common that they are in every home, which allows them to take over easily after things begin to go wrong with them. Avoid mass production!
- Hegel: I think The Lord of the Rings trilogy has a fascinating depiction of how someone can lose their identity when they become a master, rather than a slave. Sauruman's thirst for knowledge and desire to become the lord, rather than a bondsman to his responsibilities in the White Order, and he loses his identity as a leader and friend.
- Wordsworth: Old Yeller has to be one of the best movies out there--it's got a simple story line, it's something nearly everyone can relate with, and it still is able to impact people. I know I cry every time I get to the end.
- Coleridge: Across the Universe is a pretty fantastic film--it's got a lot of unique imagery but maintains a pretty unified story line throughout. That's what art should do.
- Emerson: The only movie you should ever need to watch is Pocahontas. That's where you'll learn the importance of nature and its role in art and in our lives. You must paint with all the colors of the wind!
- Nietzsche: Well, since everything in life is really just a metaphor, I think Inception is probably one of the best films out there, as the entire movie can be considered a metaphor for life (or as one article suggested, the film industry itself). Plus, it literally depicts the dangers of dreams.
- de Saussure: I particularly like Citizen Kane because of the way it illustrates the arbitrary nature of language. After all, the word "Rosebud" represents a number of ideas: Kane's last word, the sled itself, and Kane's deepest desire to achieve that same happiness he had as a child with his sled.
- Althusser: Well, Casablanca is an excellent example of the importance of ISAs, although it takes the interesting stance of making a single individual represent the ISA. In fact, the entire plot to save Victor Lazlo's life is more about preserving the ideologies that Lazlo stands for (freedom, perseverance against the Nazis, etc.) than about actually saving his life.
- Freud: I think a great film for psychoanalytic analysis and illustration is Brokeback Mountain. After all, it illustrates the universal need for the penis--the male leads can't find their satisfaction in women, and the women are constantly trying to keep the attention of the men.
- Lacan: Snow White is a classic example of the importance of the mirror stage in a person's development. The Wicked Queen is only able to find her identity and her purpose in what the mirror tells her.
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