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Running Head: EXISTENTIALISM THROUGH TEXT AND FILM

EXISTENTIALISM THROUGH TEXT AND FILM

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An Essay on Existentialism through Text and Film

Metropolitan State University

Philosophy 102, Section 01, Spring 2021

Mark Matthews, Ph.D.

The following essay serves to describe and interpret the school of philosophy, existentialism, through select film and text documents. This will be done in four consecutive parts. The first, provides interpretation and perspective from the article, “Existentialism Is a Humanism,” by Jean-Paul Sartre. The second, examines Sartre’s piece and provides his argument in support of his view. Thirdly, an explanation of Existentialism and its central tenets, partnered with an analysis of Victor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning , and whether Frankl himself is an existentialist. Lastly, a comparison between the film “Being John Malkovich,” and the text, “Existentialism is a Humanism,” is made prior to the determination of whether the film, Being John Malkovich, can be viewed as existentialist. The purpose here being to offer a description and interpretation of existentialism through text and film.

In 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre gave a lecture defending the philosophy known as existentialism. The central conclusion of his lecture was that each reproach laid against existentialism was unfounded, and further he describes what existentialism is by pointing out what it is not. This conclusion is mentioned a couple of times in the text, its first appearance being the very first sentence, “My purpose here is to offer a defense of existentialism against several reproaches that have been laid against it.” this is followed by his reply to each reproach along with a definition of existentialism. The next time the conclusion is brought forward is toward the end of the text, it is as follows:

You can see from these few reflections that nothing could be more unjust than the objections people raise against us. Existentialism is nothing else but an attempt to draw the full conclusions from a consistently atheistic position. Its intention is not in the least that of plunging men into despair … What man needs is to find himself again and to understand that nothing can save him from himself, not even a valid proof of the existence of God. In this sense existentialism is optimistic. It is a doctrine of action.

The complex answers provided by Sartre are all an attempt to convince one in favor of existentialism. As each reproach is explained a defense is provided. As each defense is provided one is left to decide which is more accurate, the reproach or the response. In his framework, the response is the more accurate.

There are many central reasons, or arguments, that Sartre provides in support of existentialism. The premise of his lecture was to defend existentialism, meaning the entirety of his text is fashioned in argument. One reproach which he highlights is that existentialism invites people to “dwell in the quietism of despair.” In response Sartre explains frankly, “Clearly, the anguish with which we are concerned here is not one that could lead to quietism or inaction.” which he follows with examples and explanations of anguish, despair, responsibility, and choice. He ends his argument regarding this reproach by stating, “Far from being a screen which could separate us from action, it is a condition of action itself.” He also forms defense against the reproach that existentialism focuses on the dark, shameful, or base nature of humanity in an unequivocal manner compared to humanities warm, kind, and beautiful nature. His response to this reproach is to highlight the most “alarming” part of the doctrine, “that it confronts man with a possibility of choice,” he further ventures into a suspicion that, “what is annoying them is not so much our pessimism, but, much more likely, our optimism. Sartre’s arguments throughout are all geared towards breaking down those statements which offend existentialism, while also building up a clearer image of existentialism as he sees it.

Existentialism at its core is a philosophical theory about life and reality. It is made up of a handful of beliefs or tenets, three of which will follow. The most prominent belief of an existentialist is that “existence comes before essence.” 1 In plain language, first we exist, then we define ourselves. Jean-Paul Sartre argues that man is nothing to begin with, and “will not be anything until later, and then he will be what he makes himself.” He further explains this tenet saying, “that man is, before all else, something which propels itself towards a future and is aware that it is doing so.” Under this belief it is noted that humans are then responsible for what they are. This leads then to a second tenet held by existentialism, “I am responsible for myself and for all men, and I am creating a certain image of man as I would have him to be. In fashioning myself, I fashion man.”1 Thus an existentialist when choosing anything, chooses as if for all. This places upon man profound responsibility which leads to undeniable anguish and despair. Anguish being a third belief of existentialism. Anguish is an emotional state the existentialist see’s all humans as being subject to. Those who do not show any sign of distress or anxiety are noted to be, “disguising their anguish or are in flight from it.”1 The anguish highlighted by the existentialist is the anguish of choice and ever-present responsibility, of choosing and applying value to one action over another, and these choices affecting all of humanity. There are many further tenets which make up the whole of existentialism, however for the purposes of this essay they will not be analyzed. Considering an understanding of existentialism, one can compare the life and works of Viktor E. Frankl to that of existentialist philosophy. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning , Frankl describes his experiences and observations from his time as a prisoner in four concentration camps. In respect to the belief that existence comes before essence, it appears as though Viktor Frankl agrees. This is noted in some of his descriptions of what man became while prisoners, “we watched and witnessed some of our comrades behave like swine while others behaved like saints. Man has both potentialities within himself; which one is actualized depends on decisions but not on conditions,” he believed man, in any situation, retains the ability to choose how they respond, this is correlated to an ongoing ability to choose who they will be, to mold and create their essence. Further, “A human being is not one thing among others; things determine each other, but man is ultimately self-determining.”2 Another example which appears to stand by a few existentialist tenets is, “How can we dare to predict the behavior of man? … Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness.”2 This is an example of the freedom to make choices ongoing as well as the responsibility such choice and freedom entails. It appears to the extent of human responsibility, freedom, and choice Frankl is an existentialist.

The film, Being John Malkovich , calls into question identity, what it means to be me. In summary, the film depicts main characters Craig, Lotte, Maxine, and John Malkovich, Craig discovers a portal into John Malkovich’s head which is then used by Craig, Lotte, and a handful of others to live as John Malkovich for 15 minutes at a time. This allows for the possibility of many “identities” inhabiting one body, the possibility of eternal life, and the ability to experience as an immaterial thing (an ego in the head of another body) vs experiencing through one's own material self. The correlations between this film and Sartre’s “Existentialism is a Humanism,” are difficult due to the satirical nature of the film, however when pressed correlations can be made. In respect to the existentialist notion that “Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself,”1 it could be argued that there is then no need to occupy the body of another, as is done in the film, to achieve the desired result of one’s life. In the film, Craig, a puppeteer desires recognition, and value for his work, to achieve this, he takes over the body of John Malkovich who already has acquired fame, using Malkovich’s preexisting spotlight Craig brings value and recognition to puppeteering as whole but cannot claim the fame or recognition as his own due to it belonging to the body and fame of John Malkovich. From an existentialist standpoint he could have seen his work, done in his own body, as valuable, he also then had the potential to become a famous puppeteer later in life if he so chose to be. Further, if Craig were unable to attain the desired result, if he could not be a famous puppeteer, he could not blame anything or anyone else, as “man is responsible for what he is.”1 Another tenet of existentialism, the commitment to not only oneself, but to all of humanity, can be seen in Craig’s choice to lust after another woman. He chooses to behave incongruently with monogamy, which is then followed by his own girlfriend choosing the same, coincidentally towards the same woman. In Craig’s choice for himself, he fashioned humanity under the same freedom. Another tenant of existentialism portrayed in the film is the notion that human existence is full of anguish. This is noted by Craig early in the film, he states, “Consciousness is a terrible curse, I think, I feel, I suffer.” The contrast here being Craig’s indication of the suffering being a curse, as if cast upon him by some other entity, the existentialist would view the suffering or anguish to be the result of man’s ultimate freedom and the responsibility of choice, not having anything or anyone to blame but oneself. On this note, the film, Being John Malkovich, can in some sense be viewed as an existential film. The correlation of humanities anguish, the highlight on choice and responsibility (especially satirically in this film), as well as the notion of essence (who, what, and how we are in this world) coming after existence are all examples of how this film can be viewed as an existentialist film.

This essay served to describe and interpret existentialism through select film and text documents. This was done in four parts. The first, provided interpretation and perspective from the article, “Existentialism Is a Humanism,” by Jean-Paul Sartre. The second, examined Sartre’s piece and provided his argument in support of his view. The third, explained existentialism and its central tenets, notably essence coming after existence, man’s freedom and responsibility in choice, and humanities anguish, as well as analyzed Victor Frankl’s, Man’s Search for Meaning , and determined Frankl himself was an existentialist in some sense. Lastly, a comparison between the film, Being John Malkovich , and the text, “Existentialism is a Humanism,” was made prior to the determination that the film, Being John Malkovich , could be viewed as existentialist. In sum, existentialism is a philosophical theory about life and reality which can be seen and analyzed through text and film. It can also be understood whether one believes in the philosophy as truth or not.

References

1. Sartre, J. (2005, February). Existentialism is A Humanism, Jean-Paul Sartre 1946. Retrieved February 07, 2021, from https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/works/exist/sartre.htm

2. Frankl, V. E., Lasch, I., Kushner, H. S., & Winslade, W. J. (2006). Man's search for meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

3. Jonze, S. (Director). (1999). Being John Malkovich [Video file]. Retrieved 2021.

1. Sartre, J. (2005, February). Existentialism is A Humanism, Jean-Paul Sartre 1946. 2. Frankl, V. E., Lasch, I., Kushner, H. S., & Winslade, W. J. (2006). Man's search for meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.