New Perspectives: Wittgenstein

Northumbria University student Katarina Vratonjic explains why Derek Jarman’s 1993 experimental biopic is worth watching.

Loosely based on the life and work of the Austro-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, Jarman’s film adopts a playful tone, echoing Wittgenstein’s assertion that “if people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would get done”.

The film, set in a minimalist black space, toys with Wittgenstein’s theories. By prioritising mood over narrative continuity, it gives the impression of a biopic, while never being held to the form. It’s a film as live and exploratory as the work of its subject.