Cognitive Film Theory

    For this week's blog post, I wanted to discuss a topic called “Cognitive Film Theory” which was discussed by Kevin McDonald in chapter 4. The turn to a Storico poetics coincided with a second major development in the post theory growing interest in cognitivism or cognitive science as an alternative to psychoanalysis, and French theory more generally. Cognitivism became so much more popular, because people were interested in finding out more about the development and ways of thinking. Focus on the mental activity that takes place within the audience's brain, particularly the central object of the film. Good directors will consider how the audience feels, whether they are laughing, sad, or just the overall mood for the movie experience. I have always thought it was so interesting how people can change their moods from one scene to the next into a completely different mindset. Hugo Munsterberg is a prevalent figure in the cognitive film theory era, mostly because of his general knowledge of the subjects, philosophy and psychology that contributed to most of his work. According to McDonald, psychology was rooted in new developments taking place in Germany, and its formation as a professional discipline was contingent on ambitious American students studying abroad in the importation of expatriate academics like Munsterberg. 

     Going into psychology a few years ago, cognitivism was something that stuck out to me right away, mostly because it is the process of how we think. I have always had a strong connection to the world of psychology due to individual experiences, so it is remarkably interesting to see how it plays into film theory. I always look out for different signs and cues in films that indicate psychological issues or mental illnesses. Even looking for something like anxiety, depression, or even overall stress in the characters faces or body language is one of my favorite aspects of film. When I think about psychoanalysis in film, I think of the basics like free association and dream analysis. Most movies depict psychoanalysis as a person laying on a red couch, eyes closed, talking aloud to a therapist with a clipboard in his hand. This imaging is the stereotypical way of how therapy is perceived by film, although one thing that I do not like is that films never really show it working. 

     In the book, the later years were when cognitivism was firmly established within film studies in which the new generation sought to address or expand on the questions left open by Bordwell and others who were interested in the topic. While cognitive film theory was dedicated to visualizing mental activities, ranging from attention, perception, and memory, it was more about how the audience felt. As the theory became more popular, people wanted to see the correlation between cognition and emotion.