Wittgenstein

Derek Jarman directed this witty, stylish biography of the life of the eccentric 20th-century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (Karl Johnson). Wittgenstein is shown as a boy living a repressive youth, demonstrated by his family appearing in Roman togas. When Wittgenstein leaves to study under ...more

Another of Derek Jarman's revisionist biographies, Wittgenstein is a fractured portrait of the 20th century philosopher as a misunderstood artist and a tormented gay soul. Intentional anachronisms abound: the characters use modern technologies and conveniences, and they are costumed in everything from ancient Roman garb to ornate period drag. The stylization, however, conveys the philosopher's theories on the nature of language more dynamically and effectively than a more labored adaptation of ...more