Jacques Derrida, one of the most brilliant and well-known living philosophers, is the subject of a new biographical movie, titled "Derrida," in which he reveals to the camera some personal details from his life.
Most interesting, though, is what he does not explicitly say.
Derrida is alive and well and doesn't actually subscribe to any sort of "isms," and is most popular for his theory of deconstruction. In an interview with the Daily Lobo, Iain Thomson, a UNM faculty member who actually knew Derrida during his time in California, spoke about some of his observations on the movie.
"What was wrong with the movie, really, was that it didn't show him working, ever," Thomson said.
Thomson went on to point out the large section of his bookcase devoted to books written by Derrida and noted that it was odd that someone who has had such a prolific work ethic could have a movie made about them that never showed that person at work. Thomson exhorted the movie for what it was, though, admiring his former teacher's ability to continue on for so long without giving in to the typical burnout that occurs when so many people are taking shots at Derrida's theories.
"There's a lot of envy in the realm of philosophy," Thomson said. "A lot of other philosophers seem to hold Derrida's success against him. But he's not burnt out at all. He's a very kind guy."
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A lot of Derrida's kindness is shown in the few scenes that his wife also appears. Obviously very much in love with each other, Derrida and Margeurite's marriage is one of the recurring themes in the movie. It gets referenced often and Derrida's reluctance to talk about the particulars of his marriage is noteworthy.
In the movie, when asked what he would want to see in a movie about a philosopher, Derrida replies, "Their sex lives." Prodded further, Derrida explains that what he would want to see is that which philosophers don't talk about -- their personal lives. He wonders why philosophers have always tried to isolate their work from their lives and says that he would like to see what they haven't already talked about.
When reminded that he wouldn't talk about his personal life, Derrida seems almost stumped, but stands by his viewpoint.
Shot in color using only two cameras, the movie is a middle ground, providing massive amounts of information while still allowing Derrida's personality, which is charming, very amusing and complete with a wry sense of humor, to shine.
Derrida cracks jokes through the entire film, using both French and English interchangeably, coming off both wise and accessible at the same time. When Derrida is speaking French, his native language, subtitles consume a large portion of the lower screen. Translations are usually problematic when it comes to foreign films.
The only real problem with the film though, is the voiceover used to quote passages from Derrida's various books. The voice itself is not that great. More grating still, is that hearing a passage from a philosophy book is nowhere near as enlightening as reading it yourself.
None of these problems are sufficient reasons to avoid the film, though. "Derrida" is playing at Madstone Theaters, at 6311 San Mateo Blvd. Call 872-4000 for ticket prices and more information.
