Conflicting Philosophies: An Analysis of Eisenstein and Bazin

As many others in the reader role have expressed, I struggled significantly with the readings this week (particularly the Eisenstein piece, which took a few read-throughs). Perhaps it’s because I’m currently enrolled in a philosophy class, but I was most intrigued by how diametrically opposed each author’s philosophies on cinema were. To Eisenstein, cinema is a conflict that attempts to synthesize art and science. At the same time, Bazin claims that cinema is a way to capture truth through reality (or, as close as we can technologically come to reality). Personally, I believe there is merit in both of their arguments, but I resonate more strongly with Bazin. 

Eisenstein refutes the idea that cinema’s goal is to reconstruct reality and instead posits that the goal is about creating a synthesis of ideas from juxtaposition, especially through montage sequences. While I agree that some level of conflict is inherent in all films, I disagree that it is absolutely necessary. Certain genres, such as romantic comedies or children’s animation, do not need to lead to revolutionary consciousness. Eisenstein is inspired by Marxist ideologies to advocate for disruption and active participation in the cinema. Still, I think this discredits the worth of more passive forms of entertainment, like the traditional narrative. 

Bazin argues that cinema existed long before the technological tools to capture it were invented. He claims that the human desire to reconstruct reality in all its dimensions predates the camera and that technological restrictions have shaped how we create and consume film. For example, silent films became popular because there literally was no way to incorporate sound into filmmaking at the time. I believe that the foundation of cinema has been this innate desire to recreate our complex world, but since then, creative liberty and freedom have given filmmakers the license to move away from reality as the sole goal. Like in all art, some films are realistic, and some are more avant-garde: it is a spectrum.

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