Nietzsche and Cinema: Cinematography as an Expression of Unity between Apollonian and Dionysian Impulses

Abstract

The following article analyzes the process of filmmaking through the framework of Friedrich Nietzsche’s Apollonian-Dionysian dichotomy. Specifically, it centers on cinema as an example of the interplay of both Apollonian and Dionysian impulses. The first half of the article provides a definition of Nietzsche’s dichotomy and two descriptions of Apollonian-Dionysian unities as cultural tendencies and artistic elements. The second half of the article examines how key aspects of the movie production process embody either Apollonian or Dionysian elements. Additionally, a case study of the film Pan’s Labyrinth is employed to exemplify these concepts in a movie experience.