Gilles Deleuze: Revealing the Unique Aesthetic Value of Film
2025-02-27
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of French philosopher Gilles Deleuze. In the history of world film theory, Gilles Deleuze opened up a new path for film research with his unique perspective and profound insights. His film philosophy not only subverted the traditional film theory framework, but also revealed the unique aesthetic value of film as an art form through the analysis of film images, constructing a highly innovative and inspiring film theory system, which has had a profound impact on contemporary film creation, criticism, and the development of film aesthetics. Deleuze was born on January 18, 1925 in Paris, France and grew up in a culturally rich family. Deleuze's philosophical ideas are centered around "difference" and "generation", emphasizing the diversity and fluidity of the world, and opposing traditional identity and static thinking. His works cover multiple fields such as philosophy, literature, art, and psychology, especially in the field of film theory. Through his two works, "Film 1: Motion Picture" and "Film 2: Time Picture," he has constructed a completely new philosophical system for film. Deleuze's film philosophy, from "motion image" to "time image", mainly revolves around two core concepts: "motion image" and "time image". He believes that the essence of film lies in capturing motion and time through imagery, and these two forms of imagery correspond to different types of films and aesthetic styles. He believes that the development of film has undergone a transition from being dominated by motion and imagery to being dominated by time and imagery. In Movie 1: Motion Picture, Deleuze proposed the concept of "motion picture". The essence of motion imaging lies in constructing a 'sensory motion context' through the movement and editing of the lens. In this context, characters interact with the external world through perception, emotion, and action. Motion imaging emphasizes the causal relationship between images and the coherence of actions. This visual form dominated early films, constructing a closed, causal world through coherent editing and smooth storytelling. Taking the American movie "Noon" as an example, the film revolves around Sheriff Will? Kane unfolds at a critical moment when the town is facing retaliation from villains. From the moment Kane learned that the villain was about to arrive, he sought help everywhere to protect the town, and this series of actions formed a close causal chain. Each action leads directly to the next plot, and the audience can intuitively see the inevitable connection between Kane's actions and the final confrontation, feeling a strong sense of tension and conflict. This is a typical embodiment of sports imagery in narrative. Deleuze further divided motion imagery into "perception imagery," "emotion imagery," "action imagery," and "relationship imagery. These different types of images correspond to different narrative functions and aesthetic effects in movies. Swiss director Alain? Taking Gespenner's film "Heidi and Grandpa" as an example, it constructs a warm and healing narrative space through motion imagery. When Heidi first arrived at her grandfather's house, the work used a large number of panoramic lenses to showcase the magnificent natural scenery of the Alps, which is called "perception image". In the scene where Heidi accompanies her grandfather, many facial close-up shots form an "emotional image", such as the close-up of the grandfather's gentle and caring eyes as he looks at Heidi, and the close-up of Heidi's innocent smile, conveying the deep emotions between the grandfather and grandson. When Heidi learned that her grandfather had been misunderstood by the villagers as reclusive and strange, she brought her friends to his small house and showed off his skills to everyone. Heidi's series of actions drive the development of the plot, which is a reflection of the "action image" that drives narrative and showcases the character's personality. Clara arrived at Heidi's place of residence, and Heidi patiently accompanied her, encouraging her to gradually adapt to life here. The interaction and communication between the two people in the picture vividly demonstrate their unique emotional connection, reflecting the role of "relationship image" in constructing character relationships and deepening themes. With the development of the film industry, especially after World War II, time image gradually emerged. In time image, movies no longer only focus on actions and causal relationships, but also pay more attention to the characters' inner world, emotional changes, and the flow of time. In this visual mode, the events in the movie may no longer have a clear causal relationship, but instead showcase the complexity of time and the flow of human consciousness through the juxtaposition and jumping of images. Just like the representative work of French New Wave films, "The Four Hundred Strikes," director Truffaut uses a large number of seemingly loose life clips to depict Antoine's growth experience. Antoine's mischievous behavior at school, conflicts with his parents, and finally running by the seaside are not closely connected according to traditional causal logic, but are linked through Antoine's inner feelings and growth process, allowing the audience to feel the fragmentation of time and the true state of life, and deeply exploring the characters' inner confusion and perplexity. Andre? Tarkovsky's' Mirror 'also provides a brilliant interpretation of time image. The film constructs a poetic and philosophical narrative space through elements such as memories, dreams, and illusions. The whole film unfolds from the perspective of a middle-aged director, who reminisces about his life on his sickbed. Many scenes, such as the gentle care of his mother in childhood, the serious figure of his father, and the emotional entanglement with his wife, are intertwined without warning. There is no conventional causal connection between these images, but rather they are pieced together based on the emotions and subconscious flow of the protagonist. This profound image breaks the linear concept of time and immerses the audience in the complex inner world of the protagonist, deeply experiencing the cycle of time and the ambiguity of memory, perfectly reflecting the characteristics of time image. The film is a continuously "emerging" world, and the theory of "coming" is the cornerstone of Deleuze's philosophy, which also holds an important position in his film philosophy. Deleuze believed that the characters and world in movies are in a constantly evolving process, without a fixed essence or identity. In movies, the personalities and fates of characters are not predetermined, but change and develop through interaction with the environment. Characters constantly break through their own limitations, establish new connections with other things, and achieve self generation. Taking the movie "Forrest Gump" as an example, the protagonist Forrest Gump is born with intellectual and physical disabilities and is considered a marginalized person in society. However, during his growth, he developed rich interactions with his surrounding environment. In the process of interacting with different people and experiencing different events, he constantly expands his ability boundaries, transforming from an inexperienced youth to a person who has made achievements in multiple fields. It is through these complex experiences that Forrest Gump constantly realizes his own "generation", interpreting Deleuze's concept of "generation" and demonstrating the process of character shaping and transformation through interaction with the outside world in a life full of uncertainty. In addition, the world in movies is not fixed or static, but rather has a constantly changing and evolving process. Movies showcase the diversity and complexity of the world through visual changes and narrative progression. During the process of watching a movie, the audience can feel the dynamic changes in the world and experience the interconnections and interactions between things. Taking the work "Walking Still" by Japanese director Hirokazu Koreda as an example, it is like a delicate and realistic picture of life, vividly depicting the dynamic generation of the small world of family. The film takes the reunion of the Yokoyama family on a summer day as the starting point. The eldest son, Pingping, passed away many years after saving someone, and this incident has been like an invisible scar that has been lingering among family members. Father Gongping is serious and reserved, and is quite dissatisfied with his second son's many career choices (giving up his medical career to become a painting restorer). Mother Minzi strives to maintain harmony in the family. In terms of narrative progression, the film portrays the evolution of family relationships through a series of daily small things. When preparing dinner, family members are busy and occasionally communicate, and ordinary conversations contain emotions and conflicts accumulated over the years; Many brief conversations with fathers about work in the living room highlight the long-standing communication barriers between father and son; The mother reminisced about the food that Pingping loved to eat before her death in the kitchen, and her longing for her deceased son was evident in her words. From the application of images, as a family sits around to eat, the camera slowly scans each person's face, capturing their subtle facial expressions, which all imply subtle changes in emotions between family members. The courtyard, rooms, and other scenes in the film symbolize the change in family atmosphere as time goes by, from day to night, with changes in lighting. As the plot develops, family members gradually unravel their emotional knots in their interactions. Many people have begun to understand the difficulties of their parents, and fathers have also shown a soft side in their interactions with their grandchildren. The process of this family relationship gradually easing from the initial subtle tension allows the audience to clearly feel the dynamic generation of this small world of family under the influence of time. Time not only changes the appearance and life trajectory of family members, but also profoundly shapes and influences their interpersonal relationships, allowing the audience to experience the truth and complexity of life. Film is a unity of representation and expression. Deleuze believed that there is a close connection between film and thought. Movies are not just replicas of the real world, but also expressions and creations of ideas. Movies can create unique concepts and perceive the world through elements such as images and sounds, inspiring the audience's thinking. He believes that the images and sounds in movies can be seen as a "logic of sensation," conveying the director's thoughts and emotions through unique combinations and arrangements. Every scene and every piece of music in a movie contains rich meaning, and the audience resonates with the director's ideas through their perception and interpretation of these images and sounds while watching the movie. With Ingmar? Taking Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" as an example, the scene of knights playing against the Grim Reaper in the film is highly symbolic. The dark tones, quiet atmosphere, and solemn expressions of the knights create a strong visual impact, conveying profound reflections on life, death, and faith. The music in the film also perfectly creates a tense and oppressive atmosphere, enhancing the audience's perception of the impermanence of life. During the viewing process, the audience has to contemplate the value and meaning of life, colliding with the director's ideas. For example, in the movie "The Pianist at Sea", the male protagonist 1900 has never disembarked from a ship, and his entire world is like that cruise ship. In the film, 1900's agile hands on the piano, the magnificent chandelier swaying with the waves in the cruise hall, the constantly changing sea scenery outside the window, and the beautiful and moving piano music together construct a unique perceptual world. 1900's love for the piano and fear of the land world are conveyed through these images and sounds, triggering the audience's thinking on issues such as choice, loneliness, and the nature of the world, allowing the audience to gain a new understanding and perception of the real world in this virtual film world. In addition, Deleuze believes that movies can expand human perception and thinking. Movies create various virtual situations and characters, allowing audiences to experience different lives and emotions, thus breaking through the thinking patterns and perceptual limitations of daily life. During the process of watching a movie, the audience is able to
Edit:momo Responsible editor:Chen zhaozhao
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