Philosophy of Cinema (Movie ideas)

I am in a philosophy of Cinema course and I have to pick a movie with philosophical themes in it to do a 3 hours class presentation on. Yeah, pretty shitty eh. Anyways I am totally stumped as to what movie I should do, so I decided to come on here and see if anyone had any ideas.

The movies we've done already are:
The Matrix, Total Recall, Blade Runner, Memento, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Muholland Dr. , and Waking Life.

My ideas for movies are, A Clockwork Orange, The Butterfly Effect, Akira, and Being John Malkovitch.

Sooo anyone think these are any good or what aspects of philosophy are in these.

Ummm....Clockwork Orange is more like the government trying to rehabiliate a gang member and make him a productive member of society. So Clockwork is more like a social rather than philosophical film. I'm going to be honest, but the Butterfly Effect is more like teenage TV drama with some Twilight Zone twists (At least that's how I took the film) Akira is pure anime genious! With incredible music and sensational animation. Yes, is more of sci-fi than philosophical, but the storyline focuses more on having great power and how to control it (or is it controllable?)

So out those choices I'll say Being John Malkovitch. It deals with the mind of a person and that's where philosophy comes from. The thinking mind. I wish I could help you more but go with BJM.

Another idea:

Vanilla Sky: radical deception/skepticism, Nozick' s experience machine.

cry first i will complain about spelling Malkovich wrong, cos its my surname too.

I think Matrx is a good idea - I think it drwas upon many philosophies and religions, so maybe do that.

Vanilla Sky is also a good one, somewhat depressing.

The problem is they' ve already discussed the Matrix 😉

😮 damn, i didnt read that properly, i appologize.

In that case I agree with Vanilla Sky suggestion.

Maybe Fight club? The alter ego...although thats more psychological than philosophical.

Im gonna have to get back to you on this.

Originally posted by WindDancer
Ummm....Clockwork Orange is more like the government trying to rehabiliate a gang member and make him a productive member of society. So Clockwork is more like a social rather than philosophical film.

But there is a philosophical element to the story--the question of whether it's better to be forced into doing good, or to do evil by choice. Mind, I haven't seen the movie, only read the book, so maybe the movie is quite different... I wouldn't know.

Minority Report -- we watched this in my philo class, actually, it's all about whether or not fate is actually predetermined or not.

Also Gattaca (which we also watched), but it's really more ethics (which is what my class was).

eXistenZ, if you discussed Matrix, that movie is aboot a hundred times better

The Butterfly Effect does deal with some philosophical issues. Such as Free will Vs. Determinism, Memory(Philosophy of the Mind), The Chaos Theory, you cold also bring up questions about god and existence, and the design theory, being able to choose your own fate and yeah.
Those are all aspects of philosophy.

A ClockWork orange deals with free will as well, and having it taken away from you. It is more of a social commentary true, but Kubrick did say this about the movie: "One of the most dangerous fallacies which has influenced a great deal of political and philosophical thinking is that man is essentially good, and that it is society which makes him bad," he said. "Rousseau transferred original sin from man to society, and this view has importantly contributed to what I believe has become a crucially incorrect premise on which to base moral and political philosophy."