Book Talk: Martin Woessner, "Terrence Malick and the Examined Life"

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2:00 pm | Online

Open to the Public

A talk by Prof. Martin Woessner (CCNY CWE) on his new book, "Terrence Malick and the Examined Life."

Martin Woessner is Professor of History & Society at the City College of New York's Center for Worker Education (CCNY CWE), where he teaches interdisciplinary courses in intellectual and cultural history, film and philosophy, human rights, and American studies. In addition to Terrence Malick and the Examined Life (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2024), he is the author of Heidegger in America (Cambridge University Press, 2011) and writes frequently for the Los Angeles Review of Books about subjects including the philosophical legacies of Richard Rorty and Jürgen Habermas, the novels of J. M. Coetzee, and the films of Paul Thomas Anderson.

Praise

"Terrence Malick is a 'philosopher as much as a movie director,' according to this erudite study of the Tree of Life filmmaker’s intellectual influences...Woessner’s careful analysis enlightens and convinces. Malick devotees should consider this essential reading."—Publishers Weekly

"An exceptional and intriguing look at the career of Terrence Malick, an American filmmaking marvel...Woessner covers each of Malick’s films, with commentary that’s perceptive, well-cited, and filled with background information on the film’s source material, production, and philosophical underpinnings. Woessner describes Malick’s filmography as well known, which is arguable (his films rarely reach mass audiences), but this book proves that it deserves to be."—Library Journal (starred review)

"A comprehensive study of Malick’s layered career, Woessner’s book provides a fascinating look at Malick’s life, creative influences, and the deeper meaning of each of his films...Woessner makes his main subjects approachable for every prospective reader. Breaking down Malick’s filmography one movie at a time, it may even leave readers with a renewed appreciation for Malick and his movies, as well as the inherent possibilities that come with experimental filmmaking."—Wealth of Geeks

"His research materials are impeccable and his use of sources effortless. Woessner is an interdisciplinarian with 20 years of knowledge in film-philosophy and history; his prose is polished, passionate, and maturely constructed. The same can be said about his close readings of Malick’s historical/mythological films and characters, which are expertly connected to the philosophical concepts the author alludes to throughout the book."—Bright Lights Film Journal

"Terrence Malick finally has the interpreter he deserves in Martin Woessner, whose deep knowledge of modern philosophy and film history is evident on every page of this remarkable book. Woessner shows us how and why Malick turned to filmmaking to explore the moral and theological questions most mid-century academic philosophers had abandoned. In explaining how Malick ‘does philosophy’ through film, he demonstrates how to do intellectual history through the study of cinematic form. His book takes us to the wonder of Malick’s lifelong quest for meaning and communion with nature and the cosmos."—Casey Nelson Blake, Columbia University

"Martin Woessner’s exploration of Terrence Malick and his work is profound, illuminating, and a delight to read. He puts this extraordinary philosopher-filmmaker in conversation with his contemporaries and understands him—not just in terms of film and philosophy—but within the wider intellectual and artistic context of his time. A fascinating book!"—Sarah Bakewell, author of Humanly Possible: 700 years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope

"Martin Woessner’s marvelous book on Terrence Malick sheds new light on the question of film and philosophy. Featuring fascinating accounts of Malick’s journey from philosopher to filmmaker, and contextualizing his films against the background of the emerging ‘New Hollywood’ generation, he shows convincingly how Malick’s work—from Badlands to A Hidden Life—can be understood as offering cinematic reflections on a philosophically examined life. A richly satisfying and compelling contribution to contemporary film-philosophy that is also a pleasure to read."—Robert Sinnerbrink, author of Terrence Malick: Filmmaker and Philosopher