Derrida the movie

I feel that by watching Derrida the movie I understand Jacques Derrida’s ideas much more. It was easier to understand his views through watching him. I thought it was probably easier to understand because this movie was not made just for an academic audience but was made for all to view so it was put on a less complex level then some of the readings we have had. I thought that it was interesting to see how resistant Derrida was towards the whole interview process and how he did not directly answer any of the questions that were asked of him. He did say many things that like his readings made me really think. He has a way of thinking that really impresses me and at the same time boggles my mind. When his brother said he doesn’t know how he thinks the way in which he does because we all have brains but Derrida’s works so differently I agreed. I enjoyed seeing his brother and also getting a little background on him like when he discussed being a Jew and being not only isolated from other children but from his own religion. He felt anti-Semitism and a feeling of unhappiness in his own community all at once. Knowing this put him on a more human level to me. Before when I had only read what he was saying it was hard for me to relate, but by seeing him and knowing something personal it almost made his thoughts easier to grasp and understand.
I thought the scene where the camera shows Derrida watching himself on the television was great because it is just like what Derrida thinks. He thinks that everything is a copy of itself and he questions reality. I felt that the film makers were very considerate when filming and editing this film because they made it the way Derrida would want it.
He said many things that made me think, like when he asked do we forgive someone or someone for something? I feel I usually forgive the act that someone does and still feel a sort of animosity towards the person. It takes time to forgive the person I think, much more time then forgiving what they did. He says that one can only forgive the unforgivable. I think that that is something to think about. Does he mean that forgiveness of something small and minute is not forgiveness or not worthy of forgiveness because it doesn’t really matter? I feel like forgiving something that is unforgivable takes a lot more effort so maybe this effort is what he sees as forgiveness. He also said that pure forgiveness is impossible which I agree with because one never really forgets something that deserved their forgiveness and as I said before I feel it is easier to forgive an act then to forgive the person who did the act.
I thought it was funny when Derrida said if there was a documentary about another philosopher he would like to hear about their sex and love life. He said this because it is something that they don’t talk about and that they don’t bring into their work. He thinks that this aspect of one’s life influences their thoughts which I agree with. I also thought that it was funny that he would want to hear about something they don’t talk about because that is exactly what some viewers of this film would want but would not get because he is so resistant to the interview process.
I did not know that Derrida refused to have his picture published for awhile but I understood why once he explained. It would have completely contradicted his work at the time that was discussing taking the author out of the text. He didn’t want that fetish-ization of the author that would have come with his photos. Also when he said he feels photos are the death of someone I understood what he meant. Once that photo is taken the moment is gone. That part of someone’s life is over with.
Overall I enjoyed the movie much more then I thought I would and I am glad we watched it because it made me understand Derrida’s thinking much more then when I just read about it.