Wittgenstein (1993)
If people never did silly things nothing intelligent would ever get done.
Director: Derek Jarman · Writers: Terry Eagleton, Derek Jarman, Ken Butler
A dramatization, in modern theatrical style, of the life and thought of the Viennese-born, Cambridge-educated philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose principal interest was the nature and limits of language. A series of sketches depict the unfolding of his life from boyhood, through the era of the first World War, to his eventual Cambridge professorship and association with Bertrand Russell and John Maynard Keynes. The emphasis in these sketches is on the exposition of the ideas of Wittgenstein, a homosexual, and an intuitive, moody, proud, and perfectionistic thinker generally regarded as a genius.
Where to watch
Kino Film Collection
BFI Player Amazon Channel
Trailer
Director
Derek Jarman
Cast
Clancy Chassay
Young Wittgenstein 
Karl Johnson
Ludwig Wittgenstein 
Michael Gough
Betrand Russell 
Tilda Swinton
Lady Ottoline Morrell 
Kevin Collins
Johnny 
Nabil Shaban
Martian 
Sally Dexter
Hermine Wittgenstein 
Lynn Seymour
Lydia Lopokova 
Jill Balcon
Leopoldine Wittgenstein
Gina Marsh
Gretyl Wittgenstein
Vanya Del Borgo
Helene Wittgenstein
Ben Scantlebury
Hans Wittgenstein User Reviews (1)
Told by way of some theatrical style sketches, this quite engagingly depicts not only the life of the acclaimed philosopher but it also shines an entertaining light on just what “philosophy” actually might be. I say might be because what is clear between himself (latterly Karl Johnson), Bertrand Russell (Michael Gough) and John Maynard Keynes (John Quentin) is that nothing is definite. His thrust centres around the limitation of language as a means of expression, and though I’ll admit to most of the theories going six feet over my head, it’s presented in quite an intriguing fashion. Is it all substantial or just emperor’s new clothes? On the personal front, he is gay and has what appears to be a shared relationship with “Johnny” (Kevin Collins) - a man always dressed in what appear to be primary coloured jump suits (I’ve no idea if that is significant, philosophically or …
