key words : Ken Loach Beaufort Bordeaux University Academic existentialist existentialism Marxism Politics Aristotle happiness citizenship socialization gender movie reconstruction individual memories past present study parallax interview Carpita filmography
This page is meant to publish Alexandra Beaufort's study on Ken Loach films. It is an academic work which has been presented in June 2001 to Mr Richard and Mr Baillon of the university of Bordeaux. Download it (pdf document) or browse it (html document)
This is a study (a brief study) of some major themes in Ken Loach's filmography. It focuses more specifically on the philosophical sources concerning the construction of individuals as human beings, as being and taking part of the society they live in. Loach seems to say that individuals are an essential part regarding the way society is builded, which is contrary to what a capitalistic world requires and demands: Loach shows people who do not feel complete, precisely because their individuality is not taken into account, among other things. Aristotelian, existentialist, and marxist themes can be thus found into Loach's movies.
En Français:
Il s'agit là d'une étude (brève) de quelques thèmes centraux de l'oeuvre cinématographique
de Ken Loach, plus particulièrement des sources philosophiques concernant la
construction de l'individu au sein de la société dont il fait partie. Chez Loach,
l'individu est au coeur du projet de vie de la cité, et c'est ce qui l'amène
à rentrer en conflit avec la société capitaliste que Loach filme sans complaisance.
Il filme des personalités tronquées par le système, abattues pas l'argent. On
retrouve dans sa filmographie de grands thèmes aristotéliciens, existentialistes,
et bien sûr, marxistes.
This work has been published in English. I have to warn French readers that everything might not be that easy to understand as the English level is meant to be quite academic..
Comments on this work may be sent to Alexandra Beaufort . I'll try to publish them next to this page. You must understand that it will not be possible to add your words to the work already published, because it is published here as a copy of the booklet published at the Bordeaux University Library.
The "dépot legal" of this work has been made
at the Bordeaux University Library, it is thus protected by French laws against
any illegal use and copy. However I find French laws quite restrictive and I
have decided to publish it under the OPEN PUBLICATION
LICENSE. This means that you can freely read, copy and distribute it. You
can also print it for private use, but you cannot make money with it without
my consent.
This work is published under the OPL because I think that learning and information
are things that are priceless.
Alexandra Beaufort