Cinematic ethics

Can a film make us think ethically, and how does it do so? This study takes up that question by treating cinema as a place where moral experience happens, one that can stir feeling and prompt reflection at once. It asks why our emotional engagement with a film matters to that process, and why the artistic force of moving images should be considered an ethical matter at all.

Robert Sinnerbrink surveys the main philosophical positions on ethics in current film theory and philosophy. He tests these positions through close analysis of individual films, drawn from many genres, stylistic approaches and national traditions, so that abstract arguments are always anchored in particular works.

The writing is clear and lively, aimed at specialists and general readers alike. Each chapter ends with annotated recommendations for further reading, and the book closes with a filmography of works suited to teaching and research on cinematic ethics.