From Stained Glass to Celluloid:
The Image of the Child in “Atomic Bomb Cinema”  

Presented by
Jerome F. Shapiro, Ph.D. 

(this program was not recorded)

When

Friday, April 4, 2003    
8:00 pm PST - 9:30 pm PST

What do stained glass windows and cinema have in common? And, why are the Japanese unperturbed by Hollywood’s influence, while so many Americans hold it responsible for every conceivable problem, including pandemic “psychic numbing”? This presentation will explore a Jungian approach to understanding the bomb, cinema, culture, and imagery. Primarily we will focus on the image of the child as a harbinger of potential change, and the presence of that image in films about the atomic bomb. Additionally, we will consider the Jewish apocalyptic narrative tradition and Japan’s vision ofthe restoration of balance and harmony through playfulness. Though the bomb is a frightening and complex problem, with no simple answer on the horizon, it is hoped that participants will leave refreshed with a sense of hope and commitment to the task of restoring the fractured psyche that is expressed in “Atomic Bomb Cinema”.

Jerome F. Shapiro, Ph.D., earned a BA in Philosophy and Comparative Literature and a doctorate in Comparative Culture. He was a Foreign Visiting Lecturer at Kyoto University and a tenured associate professor of Film and Comparative Culture at Hiroshima University. His book, Atomic Bomb Cinema: The Apocalyptic Imagination on Film was published this year. He lives in rural Ohio.

Part of the 4-part weekly lecture series:  THE MOVING IMAGE:  A JUNGIAN PERSPECTIVE ON FILM

The most we can do is to dream the myth onwards and give it a modern dress. ~ C.G.Jung

Movies ensoul our lives. They coax us into the imaginal realm where we participate in story and myth. At the movies we travel the world, journey through space, fall in love, witness murder and tragedy, undergo breathtaking adventure and laugh with silliness and joy. Much like dreams and active imagination, movies allow the expression and the experience of both personal and collective material. Movies carry us forward into myth in modern dress: The Moving Image.

This year, the C.G. Jung Club of Orange County presents our annual conference and lecture series in a combined format to both interpret and, perhaps more importantly, experience the potential that is the moving image in film. Join us for a daylong event followed by three consecutive evening lectures, and a final meeting for informal discussion and community interchange. See you there!