Opens a dialogue between contemporary film and Iris Murdoch’s thinking on art, goodness and existentialism
Iris Murdoch was not only one of post-war Britain’s most celebrated and prolific novelists – she was also an influential philosopher, whose work was concerned with the question of the good and how we can see our moral worlds more clearly.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
List of illustrations
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Film as art, and cinema as a hall of reflection
Chapter 3: Film as a moral fable
Chapter 4: Film and the existential hero(ine)
Chapter 5: Film, love and goodness
Chapter 6: Film, comedy and tragedy
Chapter 7: Film and women’s stories
Chapter 8: Film and philosophy
Bibliography
Filmography
Index
About the Author
Reviews
This monograph breaks new ground as the first substantial work to both recognise Iris Murdoch's engagement with cinema, and highlight the complementarity of Murdoch's philosophical work to film. Bolton's forging of new interdisciplinary links – with an emphasis on contemporary cinema – makes an accessible yet scholarly advance in this burgeoning field.
Iris Murdoch's philosophy has not yet been considered in dialogue with cinema. This original, passionate, and very compelling book corrects this. With abundant clarity and good humour, Lucy Bolton draws Murdoch into debates in Film Philosophy, showing how she sees film reshaping reality, and how for her, art, including cinema, is a way of learning about morality and goodness. Brilliant, versatile readings of contemporary films confirm the vivid interest in returning to Murdoch now.