Sydney Harvey

This paper explores the use of conspicuous electric light in film as a formal element that can induce a cognitive experience of false purposiveness, particularly in narratives with anthropogenic themes. It draws on Kantian formalism to argue that the experience of purposiveness without a purpose in art reveals a hubris in human nature, as we project our own concepts onto purposeless forms. The paper defines conspicuous electric light as the intentional use of stark and dramatic lighting and analyzes four techniques: geometric chiaroscuro lighting, overexposure, lens flare, and light as a subject. These techniques are often used in films exploring themes of human ambition and self-destruction, as they create a sense of unease and a mood of hubris in the viewer. The paper also discusses cognitive science research on electric lighting, suggesting that we are naturally inclined to attend to light and that it can influence our emotions and motivations. Overall, the paper argues that filmmakers intentionally use conspicuous electric light to evoke a sense of false control and to mirror the hubristic nature of human ambition.

This paper explores a philosophical argument about the use of natural light in films. I argue that directors use sunlight as a visual metaphor to induce a sublime experience from the viewer to elevate the narrative. While it is more efficient in terms of time management and finances to use electric lights, sunlight creates a successful emotional effect on the viewer placing them in contemplation of the relationship between humanity, nature, and humility. Essentially, I am concerned with what it is that the capturing of sunlight accomplishes in these works of art that a light bulb can’t. In this paper, I consider how natural light is used to guide the viewer’s eye and how natural light makes us feel. I believe motion pictures are the perfect artistic medium to explore our emotional understanding of the sun as it not only captures objects in motion in the light of the sun it also captures the sun itself in motion. My intention is to provide a better understanding of the powerful psychological effect that the use of sunlight has on the viewer of a film.