Wittgenstein

Wittgenstein

If people never did silly things nothing intelligent would ever get done.

Directed by Derek Jarman

Produced by BFI, Bandung Productions

199369 min6.4 / 10

A theatrical, intellectually demanding portrait of Wittgenstein's life and philosophy that uses playful, unconventional staging to explore language, meaning, and a brilliant, troubled mind.

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.

Questions people ask

  • Is Wittgenstein violent? Barely. Less violent than 76% of films.

  • Is Wittgenstein sad? Yes. More sad than 75% of films.

  • Is Wittgenstein scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 58% of films.

  • Does Wittgenstein end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is Wittgenstein easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

46/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity94

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise19

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love40

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Wittgenstein

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Wittgenstein

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Wittgenstein, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Wittgenstein, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Wittgenstein, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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