Film and Phenomenology presents Allan Casebier’s refined interpretation of the theory of representation initially developed by Edmund Husserl, the father of phenomenology. Casebier skillfully adapts Husserl’s ideas to the domain of cinematic representation, offering readers a clear and powerful perspective on the intersection of phenomenology and film theory.
This work describes phenomenology as the artistic framework uniquely suited to twentieth-century cinema and serves as a counterpoint to existing theoretical models. Casebier explains how a phenomenological approach to representation can advance the objectives of any comprehensive film theory. He also engages with Derrida’s challenge of “deconstruction,” arguing that film theory must be realist in both epistemological and ontological terms.
In contrast to the dominant currents of contemporary film theory, Film and Phenomenology proposes a novel solution to the issue of representation in cinema. It offers readers a deeper understanding of film and contributes uniquely to scholarly discourse in the field.
Beyond its academic value, the work touches upon broader philosophical themes, exploring how the erosion of longstanding beliefs—especially within religious thought—has emerged from more than a century of intellectual critique, often driven by linguistic distortions.
