Sensorial thought: cinema, perspective and Anthropology

the concept of 'sensorial thought' formulated by eisenstein to explain the logic of film discourse prompted him to engage in a rich dialogue with the anthropology of his time, in particular with lévy-bruhl's formulation of how 'primitive mentality' operates. eisenstein attempted to draw a parallel between cinematic language and the way in which primitive thought is manifested, arguing that both based on the principle of non-contradiction, on the idea of a simultaneity between 'self' and 'other,' and on metonymization as a way of intensifying sensorial experience. this sensorial thought produces a particular 'perspective,' an engagement between spectator and screen character. by drawing together cinema and anthropology, eisenstein produces a powerful reflection on the concepts of image, alterity, perspective and the senses.