
Join the Cinema Society of Kingston for a lecture from Society programmer William Jennings on the life, logic and language of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, followed by a screening of Derek Jarman’s unconventional and visually striking biopic Wittgenstein (1993).
- BUY TICKETS ONLINE (or in person at the door) – Admission is “pay what you can”
Published in 1921, the ‘Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus’ announced the arrival of a major new voice in the field of analytic philosophy: Ludwig Wittgenstein. Trained as an engineer and a mathematician, Wittgenstein applied an unprecedented level of logical rigour and mechanical precision to his philosophical inquiry; but it was his reputation at Cambridge as a brilliant, albeit difficult and eccentric professor that solidified his reputation as one of the most controversial thinkers of his time. This special lecture presentation by Queen’s Film & Media PhD student William Jennings shall explore the key concepts contributed by Wittgenstein, from his early work in the ‘Tractatus’ to his second, albeit posthumous publication, ‘The Philosophical Investigations’. This short lecture shall precede a screening of Derek Jarman’s film ‘Wittgenstein” (1993), a provocative, obtuse, and darkly comic dramatization of the life and work of the philosopher himself.
About the Film:
Originally commissioned by the BBC, Wiggenstein is filmmaker Derek Jarman’s avant-garde depiction of the life and philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein, the Austrian-born, Cambridge-educated thinker whose work focused on the nature and limits of language. Through a series of vignettes, the film traces his journey from childhood to his experiences during World War I, his rise to a professorship at Cambridge, and his relationships with influential figures such as Bertrand Russell and John Maynard Keynes. The narrative highlights Wittgenstein’s intellectual brilliance, his perfectionism, and his struggles as a deeply intuitive and often moody thinker, while also exploring his identity as a homosexual in a time of rigid societal norms.
Series | |
Genre |
BiographicalExperimental
|
Runtime | 72 minutes |
Rated | Not Rated |
Directed By | Derek Jarman |
Starring | Karl Johnson, Michael Gough, Tilda Swinton, John Quentin |
Language | English |
Country |
UK
|