Philosophers in Film

Often, the philosophical themes are not hidden from the viewer, needing to be dissected in oder to understand certain points. There have been many films about the lives and works of great philosophers. Here are a few examples:


First, the film Agora. This film examines the life of one who was perhaps the first great female Philosopher, Hypatia of Alexandria. Unfortunately, what we know of Hypatia has been pieced together through the work of various historians. She was put to death as Christianity came to power in the Roman Empire which, corresponded directly with the fall of the Library of Alexandria: Perhaps one of the greatest intellectual tragedies of the Ancient World.

Second, is the film when Nietzsche Wept. While this film may not be entirely accurate, it gives us accessed in some scenes to snippets of the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. There is no wonder the director and writers got a few things wrong as it is very difficult to capture the philosophy of Nietzsche in a lifetime, let alone a single film. He is perhaps best known for his assertion that "God is Dead" made in his work, The Joyful Science (Die Fröhliche Wissenschaft). Here is a clip from the film with actor Armand Asante portraying Nietzsche:

Lastly, is the film Hannah Arendt. The film details the trial of Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann and the report on that trial written by German Jewish philosopher and political theorist, Hannah Arendt. Arendt, a student of the German philosopher Martin Heidegger, was struck by a terrible thought in the trial. Rather than Eichmann being a terrifying monster like many believed her would be, he was rather, a normal person; a nobody. So, some of the most horrific acts in history were committed by nobodies who simply refused to think! This is what she called the banality of evil. For more about Arendt and her groundbreaking ideas on evil, see Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. 

Naturally, there are times in which filmmakers take creative licenses so in true Socratic terms: If you are interested in these topics, find the answers yourself! Don't simply take the interpretation of the filmmakers. It may be that you believe that these and other films are completely accurate, but judge for yourself!

Sources Cited: 

Arendt, Hannah. 1994. Eichmann in Jerusalem: a Report on the Banality of Evil. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Penguin Books.

Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, and Walter Arnold Kaufmann. 1974. The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs. New York: Vintage Books.