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Existentialism in Film

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Why did I make this lense?

I am a senior in college studying Film & Video production. I also study Philosophy as a minor. My favorite philosophy to explore is Existentialism. I love to discuss it and even did a presentation on it for my German class... completely in German!
I like to share these ideas, and thoughts with people who have never heard of existentialism or people who did not know where to begin.
Anyone can explore Existentialism. There's nothing to be afraid of. I would suggest beginners start with reading Existential novelists such as Franz Kafka and Albert Camus. After you read some of their works, you will definitely have a better feel for what Existentialism is.
A good place to go after that, if you still fear the philosophical texts, is FILM! Check out some of them below to help you get started!

Meet Some Existentialists

Frederich Nietzsche


The Portable Nietzsche
(Portable Library)



Jean-Paul Sartre


Existentialism And Human Emotions
(A Philosophical Library Book)



Simone de Beauvoir


Simone de Beauvoir:
A Biography



Albert Camus


The Plague, The Fall, Exile and the Kingdom, and Selected Essays
(Everyman's Library)



Franz Kafka


Collected Stories
(Everyman's Library)

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Advice for Beginners: Start With Novels

here are a few novels I would suggest

If anything, you should read The Stranger (Camus) and The Trial (Kafka)
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The End (1953) - Part 1

Directed by Christopher Maclaine

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Films with Existential themes

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The Trial - Part 1

from Kafka's novel The Trial (Der Prozess)

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Helpful Websites

The Film Experience: Existentialist Adaptations (Harvard)
A well-done page about films adapted from existential works.
Pull My Daisy (1959)
Full film (about half an hour). Featuring the beatniks.
Full Movies
Watch FULL movies online!

Reader Feedback

The Relevance of Existentialism

Is Existentialism still a relevant philosophy today?

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Yes.

kidaminus says:

Existentialism is very relevant

Posted July 06, 2010

kerouacnflnce says:

Any humanist philosophy is relevant, so yes.

Posted February 15, 2009

Liquidtravel says:

Yes, because it is very organic as we are...

Posted October 04, 2008

No.

Luminosity says:

I say no because I want to be contrary. Isn't that a theme in existentialism and further the rest of philosophy. As one philosopher responds to the philosophy before them. Disputations for the ages, disputations for today.

Posted May 30, 2011

 

Existentialism is Alive and Well

existentialism in the news

Existential Fortune Cookies: Fashion or fatality?
One reason I joined the Marine Corps was to gain a more concrete understanding of existentialist thought. An important aspect of existentialism is the idea of authenticity, or presenting yourself as you really are. Being a veteran of the Iraq war, ...
Reunited Make-Up May Play a Stateside Show
He goes off on a tangent about the existentialism of rock, references Kraftwerk (who are doing their own reunion later this spring) in doing so, and claims he's invented the term "existential repetition" (which is sort of untrue).
What Is 'The Tree Of Life'? Oscar Nominees 2012 Guide
"The Tree of Life" is about the universe, dinosaurs, angry dads, existentialism; in a word, everything. In simpler terms, Brad Pitt stars as Mr. O'Brien, a strict father raising a family in Texas in the 1950s. The movie follows the family through ...
Author H. Lee Barnes sounds off on writing, drugs, death penalty and artifice ...
The best storytellers I know, novelists or short story writers, would best be described as existentialists, by which I don't mean nihilists. Existentialism is a living philosophy, a search for who we are. It's a term misused by the media.
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What are your views on Existential films?

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  • Reply
    lostinfiction Jan 12, 2010 @ 8:41 am | delete
    I also remember being first introduced to some of these philosophers way back in high school. At first I didn't really appreciate them as much, but that opinion has changed greatly over the years. More so after I inflooxed them more recently, to look up their influences. For example, take Camus; I didn't really expect to find Shakespeare on his list of influences.
  • Reply
    Lola4ever Jul 17, 2011 @ 7:47 pm | delete
    Good point about Camus. You know... it's sad. I saw on the news recently that schools in my area are cutting (of all subjects) English and History. Can you imagine what these kids will end up like when they're out of high school? It makes me shudder to think how little the school system cares about the Humanities. Thanks for the comment!
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