Hugo Münsterberg's The Photoplay (1916) is one of the first and most important early works of film theory. Münsterberg's work on the emerging art of cinema remains a key document for film scholars, but it has long been out of print. In this new edition, Allan Langdale provides a critical introduction to the seminal text and collects numerous hard-to-find writings on film by Münsterberg.
In the early years of the twentieth century, both psychology and motion pictures were just beginning to emerge as significant cultural forces. Published in 1916, this fascinating work from prominent psychologist Hugo Munsterberg analyzes early films from a psychological point of view.
'Filmosophy' is a manifesto for a radically philosophical way of understanding cinema. The book coalesces 20th century ideas of film as thought into a practical theory of 'film-thinking', arguing that film style conveys poetic ideas through a constant dramatic 'intent' about the characters, spaces, and events of film.
Since the early days of film, critics and theorists have contested the value of formula, cliché, conventional imagery, and recurring narrative patterns of reduced complexity in cinema. Whether it's the high-noon showdown or the last-minute rescue, a lonely woman standing in the window or two lovers saying goodbye in the rain, many films rely on scenes of stereotype, and audiences have come to expect them. Outlining a comprehensive theory of film stereotype, a device as functionally important as it is problematic to a film's narrative, Jörg Schweinitz constructs a fascinating though overlooked critical history from the 1920s to today. Drawing on theories of stereotype in linguistics, literary analysis, art history, and psychology, Schweinitz identifies the major facets of film stereotype and articulates the positions of theorists in response to the challenges posed by stereotype. He reviews the writing of Susan Sontag, Roland Barthes, Theodor W. Adorno, Rudolf Arnheim, Robert Musil, Béla Balázs, Hugo Münsterberg, and Edgar Morin, and he revives the work of less-prominent writers, such as René Fülöp-Miller and Gilbert Cohen-Séat, tracing the evolution of the discourse into a postmodern celebration of the device. Through detailed readings of specific films, Schweinitz also maps the development of models for adapting and reflecting stereotype, from early irony (Alexander Granowski) and conscious rejection (Robert Rossellini) to critical deconstruction (Robert Altman in the 1970s) and celebratory transfiguration (Sergio Leone and the Coen brothers). Altogether a provocative spectacle, Schweinitz's history reveals the role of film stereotype in shaping processes of communication and recognition, as well as its function in growing media competence in audiences beyond cinema.
Commercial air flight, mass manufacturing, ergonomic design -- many cornerstones of twenty-first century life have been made possible through the study of industrial efficiency and human factors. In Psychology and Industrial Efficiency, pioneering researcher Hugo Munsterberg elucidates many of the core concepts of this field of study.
Film and philosophy have much in common, and books have been written on film and philosophy. But can films be, or do, philosophy? Can they “think”? Film as Philosophy is the first book to explore this fascinating question historically, thematically, and methodically. Bringing together leading scholars from universities across the globe, Film as Philosophy presents major new research that leads film studies and philosophy into a productive dialogue. It provides a uniquely sweeping, historical overview of the confluence of film and philosophy for more than a century, considering films from Jean Renoir, Lars von Trier, Jørgen Leth, David Lynch, Michael Haneke, and others; the written works of filmmakers who also theorized on the medium, including Sergei Eisenstein and Jean Epstein; and others who have written on cinema, including Hugo Münsterberg, Béla Balázs, André Bazin, Henri Bergson, Gilles Deleuze, Stanley Cavell, Alain Badiou, Jacques Rancière, and many more. Representing a major step toward establishing a media philosophy that puts the status, role, and function of film into a new perspective, Film as Philosophy removes representational techniques from the center of inquiry, replacing these with the medium’s ability to “think.” Hence it accords film with “agency,” and the dialogue between it and philosophy (and even neuroscience) is negotiated anew. Contributors: Nicole Brenez, U of Paris 3–Sorbonne; Elisabeth Bronfen, U of Zurich; Noël Carroll, CUNY; Tom Conley, Harvard U; Angela Dalle Vacche, Georgia Institute of Technology; Gregory Flaxman, U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Alex Ling, Western Sydney U; Adrian Martin, Monash U; John Ó Maoilearca, Kingston U, London; Robert Sinnerbrink, Macquarie U, Sydney; Murray Smith, U of Kent, Canterbury; Julia Vassilieva, Monash U, Melbourne; Christophe Wall-Romana, U of Minnesota; and Thomas E. Wartenberg, Mount Holyoke College.
Béla Balázs was a Hungarian Jewish film theorist, author, screenwriter and film director who was at the forefront of Hungarian literary life before being forced into exile for Communist activity after 1919. His German-language theoretical essays on film date from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s, the period of his early exile in Vienna and Berlin"-- Publisher description
Enter the mind and explore the groundbreaking theories of mental healing with Hugo Münsterberg's "Psychotherapy." This landmark work delves deep into the psychological processes behind human behavior and the therapeutic methods used to address mental health challenges. As Münsterberg's analysis unfolds, discover how science and psychology intersect to offer a revolutionary approach to mental well-being. His clear, insightful writing illuminates the path to understanding how psychotherapy can transform the human mind.But here’s the key question: Can we truly harness the power of the mind to heal itself? And how do these pioneering ideas apply to the modern world of therapy? Explore the core concepts of Münsterberg's approach, from suggestion therapy to the role of attention and thought in healing. Each chapter builds on these innovative ideas, giving readers the tools to grasp the power of psychotherapy in both theory and practice. Are you prepared to unlock the mysteries of the mind with "Psychotherapy"? The answers to mental well-being may be closer than you think.Through concise and thought-provoking sections, Münsterberg challenges conventional beliefs about mental health, offering insights that remain relevant today. His methods lay the groundwork for modern therapy, offering hope and healing for those who seek to understand the complexities of the human mind. The future of mental health starts here. Will you take the first step in discovering how psychotherapy can change lives? Unlock the transformative ideas of "Psychotherapy" today.Get your copy of "Psychotherapy" by Hugo Münsterberg, and begin your journey into the depths of the mind's potential for healing.
