Secret Cinema: Gnostic Vision in Film

by Eric G. Wilson

Book Overview

In the last twenty years or so, numerous mainstream movies have drawn from the ideas and images of ancient thought to address the collapse of appearance and reality. These films have consistently featured the Gnostic currents that emerged from Plato: not only Gnosticism itself but also Cabbala and alchemy. Despite important differences, these traditions have provided filmmakers with ready-made ruminations on the relationship between surface and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826417973
• ISBN13: 9780826417978
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Continuum
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Gnostic Visions in Film

Being a student of historical gnosticism I couldn't resist this title or rather the subtitle when I came across it. I have never been one greatly into movies so I just wanted to see how the ideas I am so greatly interested in would have found expression in contemporary culture. The book was a revelation; it is in fact a study of three distinct but related 'underground' threads in contemporary film - these being gnostic, alchemical and kabbalistic. I am not too knowledgeable about the Kabbala, but the 'kabbalistic' films discussed seem restricted to one particular aspect of this subject - that of golem making - or the creation of artificial life, from the 'Der Golem' film of 1915 through Frankenstein to Blade Runner and beyond. The book looks at some fifty or so films altogether, quite a number in considerable depth - and picks out with great insight the development of these three interrelated motifs throughout 20th century cinema. I read the book in a couple of days, and have as a result been inspired unbelievably to order nearly all the films the author discusses. It was refreshing to dip into the book a second time as an accompaniment and commentary to the films as they were watched. An introduction to the 'alchemical' elements in the films of David Lynch would have been worth the price of the book alone, as my interest in traditional alchemy, mostly approached through Jungian lenses - was as in danger of becoming as moribund as my gnostic studies! These in turn have been transformed from something of a dry academic pursuit into something vibrant, living and moreover with contemporary relevance - not to mention fun. A number of reviewers of some of the author's other books have found his style somewhat heavy going. Not having read these other works yet I couldn't comment, but in this book I found that often an idea, instead of being stated full-on, is as it were pointed or hinted at, actually stimulating me into making my own jumps of intuition and insight. This book has opened my eyes into some of the deeper currents moving through a medium I had long neglected and indeed perhaps arrogantly viewed as 'mere entertainment'. Not so anymore! If there is ever a second edition it would be nice to have it brought up to date, as the last film the book discusses would have been released about the year 2001.