Projections of the Self: Acting on Film

Undergraduate / Graduate

In this course, we will study the topic of acting and performance on film through philosophical understandings of selfhood: is to be a self simply to play a role (existentialism)? Are we driven to act in ways we don't control (psychoanalysis)? What is the relation between the mind and the body (phenomenology)? Can the inner be accessed only through the outer (behaviorism)? Does gender exist only in performance (feminism)? What are the responsibilities of the self to the other (moral philosophy)? We will trace the history of theories and practices of film acting, covering topics around the transformations of actor into character, degrees of emotional inhabitation and the powers of stardom. Concurrently, we will analyze individual films and the perspectives they offer on questions of agency, will, consciousness, emotional expression, the unconscious, and social roles. Readings will include philosophical texts, film theory, as well as acting manuals and star interviews. Screenings will range across different movements and styles of international cinema.