Posted by Julia Mahony This weekend, the Saratoga Film Forum will be showing Margarethe von Trotta's Hannah Arendt. Arendt, played by Barbara Sukowa, was one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. She refused the title of philosopher because, according to her, philosophy related to "man in the singular" and her work was concerned with the reality that "men, not Man, live on the earth and inhabit the world." In other words, she was interested in the lives and actions of individuals, rather than the overarching role of mankind. Consequently, she called herself a political theorist.
This film is a portrait of a daring woman's profound thought process. The biopic centers on the controversial reporting Arendt did during the trial of the ex-Nazi, Adolf Eichman. In her reporting for The New Yorker she coined the famous phrase, "the banality of evil," a theory that Eichman, among other "evil" historical figures, were unthinking drones as opposed to masterminds of cruelty. As a result, she was accused of defending him.
On Sunday, after the screening, Skidmore English Professor Robert Boyers will be giving a talk about the film as part of The Film Forum's Town & Gown Series. Boyers is one of the leading experts on Hannah Arendt in the nation and was present during the making of the film.
As students who go to a college where the slogan is "creative thought matters", Hannah Arendt is particularly relevant for us. It a film is about deep thinkers and the consequences, as well as the repercussions, of taking thought seriously. Tickets for the film are $5 for students with a valid Skidmore ID.