Pathos and Grotesque: Paolo Sorrentino’s Experience of Finitude

Abstract

This article is concerned with the study and establishment of the phenomenon of ‘experiencing the finitude of human existence’, which, within the framework suggested in the thesis, can be represented in modern Italian cinema with the usage of pathos and grotesque. The study of the concept is carried out based on the works of existentialist philosophers, primarily the American philosopher P. Tillich who equates the concept of ‘experiencing finitude’ with the concept of ‘anxiety’. In addition to the study of ‘experiencing finitude’, the study of the concepts of ‘pathos’ and ‘grotesque’, their meaning and transformation within the history of European culture is carried out. The analysis of the representation of the ‘experience of the finitude of human existence’ is carried out based on the works of the modern Italian director P. Sorrentino. His works were chosen due to his role in the modern Italian cinematography: the succession of his artistic methods and the level of demand for his artwork in modern society. In particular, the films Great Beauty (2013), Youth (2015), and the television series Young Pope (2016) are analyzed. The use of pathos and grotesque, confirmed by a general study of the director’s work, allows one to visualize the disembodied philosophical category of ‘experiencing finitude’ on the movie screen. The study of cinema conducted in accordance with existential categories allows for new ways of interaction between contemporary culture and art.