means to unlock another path to studying life
and man? Just like Philosophy or History, Film
has a place in theoretical studies as a medium to
contemplate life. We study Film, such that we
may use film to further understand its creation
and creators.
To shatter the glass, burst the bubble, raise the
curtain and clear the fog (and any other idioms
have you)...
Instead of a usual theoretical study label though,
people have chosen to remain with ‘Film Studies’
(rather than Filmology, or something similar).
No. One does not receive a sort of divine epiphany in theoretical Film knowledge just by taking
Film Studies as his or her major. Neither does
the person become a literate zombie incapable of
action. To quote a completely unrelated fast food
chain ad: “Where’s the beef ?”
What separates us from, say, historians? Or psychologists?
The sponge? Where, my dears, is the middle
ground?
Well, for one, we study film (obviously). But on a
more serious note, this question is best answered
by comparison. Imagine if the world only had
two subjects of study,
say Sociology and
Film Studies. Their
difference would lie
here:
I cannot, in all my verbosity, put the situation in
a simpler form than a remark a fellow kajian student incidentally said to me:
The sociologist
would study society
from the aspect of
film.
The filmist would
study film from the
aspects of society.
Again it’s quite rudimentary. Now put
back, in the equation,
every other existing
subjects of study in
the world; the basic
principle would still apply. To summarize, ‘Kajian’ is both the study of film as an object (form
and style) and the study of Film as a subject
where we try to understand it from different theories or areas of study.
So when or where did the polar assumptions
come from? It is quite entertaining to hear and
see the variety ?b&V7F???2vRvWBv?V?V??P?6?v?B?W"???"?2?g&??FVW?BG&V??( ??( ?F?6?'?B??r( ??( ??vR&V6V?fRf?vV?2?`?F?ffW&V?B&??'F???2?F?W&R6VV?2F?&R??6??6V?7W22F???rvR6??V?B&R&Vv&FVB?"v?W&P?vR6??V?B&R?6VB???rF?R?F?W"???'2??V??Rv???fW&W7F??FR?B&V?WfRF?BvR&P?v???r??W2?b&???2&V6??R??F??FFVB?@?G&?F??RF?R7FFR?b?W"???v?VFv&??G???F?W'2F?v????W"gV?7F????G??B77V?RF?@??W"F?V?&WF?6?&6?w&?V?B??W2W2??6&?P??BW6V?W72??f?V?BF?W?77V?R?2?&vV?&7F?6??F?R???6???&?G?F?W?6?&R?2F?BF?W??&?F?V?F??FV?f??B7V&?V7F?fR&V6??2F???BF??F?W2??VF?6??????"???F?&W"#0??( ??W7B?V?F????rF???w2F?B??RF??( ?B???r??'WB??R???rF???w2F?B?F??( ?B???r?( ??F?RW'6??( ?2???F???2"??v^( ?&R??7GVFV?G2?W&R?7F????V&???r?7F???w&VV??B&V??F?W6?( ?B?GFW"v?B???"??R6???6R??vR??f??B?BV?6??f?'F&?Rv?V?W?V7FVBF?????r??&RF??vR7GV??F??6?F?R?W?BF??P???R72( ?????( ?7GVFV?B?F??VW????BF?@?f???2&V?( ?BF?R???F???w2F?W?vF6??VB?@?'&VF?R??6WGF??rF?R&V6?&B7G&?v?@?( ??R6??vVBF???????( ??( ??rF?BF?B?V???( ??( ?v??F?B??R6??vRF???????( ???( ?v??? ( ???FVVBv??v?V?BW'6??f?&?W&?6WB??F?&V7F??r7VFFV???fRF?R6VV??v?&???&R??F???F?6??vR???'3?'WB?2?B&V??F?B7W'&?6??s????6???ru6VV?2F?&RF?R??7B?'f??W0?&V6??F???7BV??R??"?76??rw&FRg&????V6W76'?6?72?'WBv?B?b??F?R&R?&WV?6?FW0?vW&R??gV?f???VC??F?R???v??6??7vW"F??2?2F?&?Vv?7V&?V7F?fR&W7??6R?f?"?6V?b?F?V?'?v2?WfW ???R?b?7G&V?wF?2???R6?V6??&VB&????'WB??BV?FW'7F?B?G26??FV?G2?'WBF?W&R?2??V???V???F?B?67W'2GW&??rF?R?G7B?`???W"( ?&F?? ( ??B6??'Bf???2&Vf?&R?B?v?V??R7&VFR??W"f?'7B( ?F?&V7F??~( ?6?726??'Bf???????R&Rf???VBv?F?F?RG&?fRF?7&VFR2W"??W ???v??F??????R?fR6?'B?b?FV?7F?2???W6????7W?'F??r??W"?VVBF?( ?6??~( ???W"7GVfb?'W@?6??v?2??R??R??W"?W?B6??'Bf????Bf??????W"&F???F??2???W6???7F'G2F?F?76?FR??F?R?v??&?6RF?@??V?VB??RF?7&Vv&@?6????&WV?&V@?V?V?V?G2F?( ?G'VP?f???????~( ?&V6??W0?f?s?vV??W72???B??????W ?6??'F?fV@?&???V?6R???R7F'BF??&V??R??r6?????Bf?????W"( ??FV?6?( ?7GV???2?@??V7BF?Bv2??r??6r?6V?b??G'WF??6?V?@?fVV???R6??WF???p?v2?76??r??Bv0???RG'???rF?6???@??'&?rv?F?F?P?w&??r&?r?"f?6P?fW'6?BF?RF??R?v2F???R6???6R???@?F???RW??B&WGvVV??v??&??r???7F??7G0??B?W7B6??F??VR??F?R??RF?B&F?6Rv?V?@???RW&fV7B??Bv2f?&?R?F?????"7F??F?P?'&VF??B?WBv??bF?R( ????'F?6^( ???BW@???&V??r( ?F?&V7F??r???.( ??B7GV??f?7W2???v?B??VVFVBF?7GV??&R&?RF?F?&V7B??N( ?0?&V???GFW"?bv?B??R7W?bFV?2????rv?V?V??R6??6??( ??v?BF??V&???&P?F???W7Bf???????r??fVV???R?v?????RF?F?&V7@?'WB???B??rv???R?( ??7F???V?G??( ?vR??B'?( ?v^( ???V?F?R???Gv?????7GVFV?G2???W"?V"??fR?GF?R???RF?B7V?2W ?F?RfW'??GW&R?BW'?6R?b( ?????( ????( ???6R??^( ?fR6??VW&VBF?R?F??6??r???R6??6??VW"??F???r?( ???????4??s ??