Film criticism in the light of philosophical anthropology: Films of Theodoros Angelopoulos as an example

As cinema has been an important part of the entertainment industry throughout its historical development, it has also gained value as a branch of art in later periods. The standing of films in the field of art and the ethical sensitivity of their content determine which qualities of cinema are highlighted. The films of Theodoros Angelopoulos, focusing on human, make human beings the subject of inquiry in the presence of history. Philosophical anthropology is the philosophical counterpart of the effort to understand human beings, their problems and values in Angelopoulos' films. Philosophical anthropology showed a great development in the twentieth century and influenced the world of thought of the era. In this century, the problem of philosophy has been the human being; through philosophy, a philosophy of life has been developed against the events of the age and destruction. This study, based on the works of Ioanna Kuçuradi and Takiyettin Mengüşoğlu, introduces new criteria, possibilities, and limitations to philosophical criticism through the lens of the concepts, discussions, and judgments of philosophical anthropology in the field of art. In this way, philosophical criticism has acquired new criteria and the possibilities of evaluating films correctly have been expanded. In the context of these discussions, the philosophical criticism of Angelopoulos' films Ulysses' Gaze (1995), Eternity and a Day (1998) and The Weeping Meadow (2004) were made with the valuation criteria that formulated in this study.