The Philosophy of Motion Pictures

"As the very first introduction to philosophy of film… The Philosophy of Motion Pictures is ideal for generating new and wider philosophical interest in film as a technologically evolving art form.  …[The book] does beautifully what any good introduction should: It leaves us with a sense of deeper understanding but also an eagerness to continue the conversation." (Katherine Thomson-Jones, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism (vol. 66, issue 4))

"Carroll is arguably the foremost philosopher of film writing today. With the assistance of a handful of other philosophers, he has created a vital and lively philosophical specialty out of a field that was mostly moribund prior to the 1980s. The Philosophy of Motion Pictures deserves study by anyone seriously interested in the philosophy of film. The clarity with which it is written and the broad scope of its concerns make it a book that deserves serious attention and discussion." (British Journal of Aesthetics)

"One of the more insightful scholarly approaches to cinema in recent years. The book explores film…with several interesting and intellectually stimulating and satisfying chapters." (RogueCinema.com)

"Scholarly, detailed and thoroughly-argued … .It is a fine book. Persuasive and informative and will undoubtedly become a key text in cinematic studies." (Metapsychology)

"Carroll provides a useful compendium of the central problems and ruling concepts in contemporary film aesthetics. Recommended." (Choice)

"In this outstanding book, Noël Carroll has brought contemporary philosophy to bear on the status and definition of cinema as art, remarkably enriching the way we think about and experience motion pictures. A masterpiece of clarity and insight."
—Arthur Danto, Columbia University

"This is a beautifully organized, agenda-setting text. With verve and lucidity, Carroll summarizes core debates and advances original accounts of everything from the essence of film to the criteria of evaluation."
—Jesse Prinz, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill