Alain J. J. Cohen

Cinema (History and Analysis)
Semiotics (Peirce to Greimas)
Psychoanalysis (from Freud and Lacan to the present)
Film Studies, Art History/Theory, Aesthetics
Applied Semiotics (Art, Narratology, Digital special f/x)
History of Philosophy and French Philosophy (phenomenology, structuralism, postmodernism)

Alain J.-J. Cohen is Professor of Comparative Literature and Film Studies at the University of California, San Diego where he has spent his career. He has single-authored 90-odd research articles in professional journals and scholarly volumes (cf. "Pubs" below for the most recent ones) on cinema, semiotics, psychoanalytic theory, art and philosophy, presented 230 papers at invited lectures and conferences around the world, curated an art exhibition "Æsthetics of Science," made a documentary film and did a few TV programs on questions of cinema (see below).

After a French primary & secondary education and a B.A. in philosophy from McGill University at the age of 19, Cohen received his Ph.D. (UCLA) at 25, earned tenure at 31 (UC San Diego), and did independent doc and postdoc research in France and in Italy. He has a pluri-disciplinary and multi-national formation in aesthetics and philosophy, literary theory, psychoanalysis (Freud, Lacan, et al.), semiotics (C.S. Peirce, A.-J.Greimas, et al.), the history and analysis of cinema, film studies and art history. Early in his career, he wrote a book on Frankfurt school philosopher H. Marcuse studied from a Freudo-Lacanian perspective, and co-authored another book on the semiotic analysis of New Testament narratology. He recently co-edited a volume on the other arts involved in the art of cinema. His research and teaching focus on the semiotic methods applied to literary and filmic analysis (film history, film narrative, film poetics), and the semiotics of psychoanalytic discourse (case studies, metapsychology, psychoanalysis of art history). He interwove his early research in semiotic and psychoanalytic methods into the technical study of cinema with the advent of video technology and DV technologies. He has written about Eisenstein, Godard and Marker, Welles and Hitchcock, Kubrick, Lynch and Scorsese, as well as Billy Wilder, Woody Allen, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, Terry Gilliam, et al., to highlight methods of film analysis, the aesthetics of the filmic image, and the rhetoric of violence in contemporary US cinema.

Cohen has been dedicated to the dissemination of psychoanalysis (from the time when he attended Lacan's seminars in his youth), film theory (collaborated with Ch. Metz) and semiotics (was a presenter at the first Congress of the international association, Milan, 1974). In the mid-1970s-80s, he was responsible for inviting to UC San Diego leading European intellectuals, e.g. Baudrillard, Damisch, Eco, Greimas, Lyotard, Marin, as well as other scholars such as H. Parret, P. Fabbri, de Certeau, et al. Over the years he has been a plenary speaker at meetings of CISeL, AISS, IASS, SCC, SERCiA, UCIPC, AFEA, IAVS, et al. He was Visiting Professor at UC Irvine (Spring 2000), at the Université of Poitiers (Programme de cinéma, 2001) and every summer since 1975 at the Centro Internazionale di Semiotica in Urbino, Italy. Aside from his native French and quasi-native Italian and English, he reads Latin, Greek & Spanish (and intends to study Chinese some day).

Selected 'pubs' from the past 12 years only, as well as his courses, seminars or sample of his current invited lectures, point to his goals and directions. He has contributed to Festchriften for renowned scholars: A.-J. Greimas (twice), R. Jakobson, H. Marcuse, L. Marin, Ch. Metz, O.F. Pucciani (on Sartre), I. Rauch, D. Desanti, et al. Alain J.-J. Cohen confronts and investigates the filmic image through art history and psychoanalytic theory, as well as through the special effects' simulacra in the digital age; he describes the rhetoric of its violence as well as its ecstasy-effect on the spectator. His goal in future work is to find the technical equivalent of a filmic image's DNA.

Recent Publications:
- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Oliver Stone's JFK and Ralph Greenson's Psychoanalysis of Marilyn. Three Theses on the Synergy between History and Mythology.' Cinéma et Histoire/ Cinema and History, ed. M. Stokes & G. Menegaldo. Paris: Michel Houdiard. 2008. 333-346.

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Towards a Psychoanalytic Perspective on Angelic and Counter-angelic Agencies.' Documenti di lavoro. La parte dell'angelo 2, 373-374-375D. Urbino: Centro Internazionale di Semiotica e Linguistica. 2008. 56-62.

- Cohen, A. J. J. `Cinema et Peinture. Figures et abstractions.' (see book entry below) 2007. 15-30

- Sipiere, D & Cohen A. J. J.(ed.) Les autres arts dans l'art du cinéma. Rennes : Presses Universitaires de Rennes. 2007, (234p). With introduction by Cohen, A J J & D. Sipiere `Scorsese peintre. Losey musicien. Kubrick chorégraphe.' 7-12.

- Cohen, A. J. J. `Kubrick. The Filmmaker as Philosopher. Film Form Film Sense Revisited.' IJGLSA, Interdisciplinary Journal of Germanic Linguistics and Semiotic Analysis 10, 2 (2005) 203-230

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'The Art of the Nude in Cinema. Kubrick, Godard and Greenaway.' Visio. The Journal of the International Association for Visual Semiotics, 10, 3-4 (2005) 493-505

- Cohen, A. J. J. `Simulacres. Lire Baudrillard à l'ère filmique numérique.' Métaphores d'Epoque 1985-2000, éd. F. Ferreira & D. Mellier, Rennes: Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 2005: 187-205

- Cohen, A. J. J. `Laclos's Epistolary Battlefield and Filmic Semiotics.' IJGLSA, Interdisciplinary Journal of Germanic Linguistics and Semiotic Analysis 9,2 (2005) 165-183.

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'L'Io Lacaniano nell'era digitale.' [The Lacanian `I' in the Digital Age.] Psiche. Rivista di Cultura Psicoanalitica XII, 1 «Contaminazioni» (2004) 107-117.

- Cohen, A. J. J. `Woody Allen and Freud' Celluloid Couches, Cinematic Clients. Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in the Movies, ed. J. Brandell, Albany: SUNY Press. 2004: 127-145.

- Cohen, A. J. J. `Three Dangerous Liaisons. Letter LXXXI filmed by Vadim, Forman, Frears' IRIS A Journal of Theory on Image and Sound, «Film Adaptation: Methodological Questions, Aesthetic Questions» No. 30 (2004) 55-71.

- Cohen, A. J. J. `Semiotics of Virtual Reality Films.' Visio. The Journal of the International Association for Visual Semiotics, 9, 1-2 (2004) 271-280.

- Cohen, A. J. J. `Simulacri del cinema culinario' Del gusto e della fame. Teorie dell'alimentazione ['Simulacra of Culinary Cinema,' Taste and Hunger], ed. B. Antomarini & B. Biscuso, Montag Book Coll., vol. 8. Roma: manifestolibri, 2004: 180-186.

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Twelve Monkeys, Vertigo and La Jetee: Postmodern Mythologies and Cult Films' [English reprint, La Licorne 2002, translated by W. Buckland] New Review of Film and TelevisionStudies. [Inaugural issue] Vol. 1.1, (2003) 146-163

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Janos Negyesy: Ut pictura musica' Ex Tempore. A Journal of Compositional and Theoretical Research in Music. X/ 2: (2003) 1-13

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde de Mamoulian. Morphing postmoderne. Portraiture baroque' R. L. Stevenson & A. Conan Doyle. Aventures de la Fiction, ed. G. Menegaldo & J. P. Naugrette. Rennes: Terre de Brume. 2003: 393-407

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'De l'episteme moderniste a l'episteme numerique. La mise-en-corps 19OO. La mise-en-corps 2OOO.' Homo Orthopedicus. Le corps et ses protheses a l'epoque (post)moderniste, ed. N. Roelens & W. Strauven, Paris: Editions L' Harmattan. 2002: 401-412

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Blade Runner. Una critica filmica del giudizio postmoderno' [A filmic critique of postmodern judgement.]' Lo Sguardo degli Angeli. Intorno e oltre Blade Runner, ed. P. Bertetti & C. Scolari, Torino: Testo & Immagine 2002: 3-30

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Twelve Monkeys de Gilliam, Vertigo et La Jetee: Mythologies postmodernes et films cultes.' La Licorne. Cinema et Mythe: XIII, (2002) 267-283

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Piero della Francesca's 'Flagellation'. The painter as filmmaker' (English version with variations of It. article/ Il Cannocchiale). Visio. The International Journal for Visual Semiotics. 5(4, State of the Image): (2001) 99-111

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Kubrick: Ethique et esthetique de la Voix Off.' Puissances de la voix. ed. S. Badir & H. Parret, Limoges: Presses Universitaires de Limoges, Collection 'Nouveaux actes semiotiques'. 2001: 189-203

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Greek models for postmodern times. Foucault and Lacan on ethics and the arts of existence.' Dalhousie French Studies. 54: (2001)105-114

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Kubrick' s `The Shining'. Semiotics of the Labyrinth.' Semiotics 2000, eds. S. Simpkins & J. Deeley, New York and Ottawa: Legas Press. 2001: 183-197

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'A Clockwork Orange de Kubrick. La violence et la regle.' L'hospitalite: signes et rites, ed. A. Mantandon. Centre de recherches sur les litteratures modernes et contemporaines. Clermont-Ferrand: Presses Universitaires Blaise Pascal, 2001: 257-267

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Virtual Hollywood and the Genealogy of its Hyper-Spectator.' Hollywood spectatorship. Changing perceptions of cinema audiences, ed. M. Stokes, R. Maltby, London: British Film Institute Publications. 2001: 152-164

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Semio-Cybernetics of Visual Memory'. IJGLSA, Interdisciplinary Journal of Germanic Linguistics and Semiotic Analysis. 5, 2 (2000) 230-244

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'La Flagellazione' di Piero della Francesca. Il pittore come regista.' Il Cannocchiale, Rivista di studi filosofici. «Il valore cognitivo dell'Arte». 2 (2000) 11-32

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Woody Allen' s 'Zelig'. A simulation documentary.' Semiotics 1999, eds. S. Simpkins, C. W. Spinks, J. Deeley, Bern/ New York: Peter Lang. 2000: 315-331

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'La citation du 'Mepris' de Godard dans 'Casino' de Scorsese. Du detail iconophage.' La Licorne VI. «Le cinema en details» (1999) 193-206

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Lynch' s Lost Highway. A Postmodern Whodunnit.' La Licorne, VIII «Les Recits Policiers au Cinema.» (1999) 205-224

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Three Madame Bovarys. Renoir, Minelli, Chabrol.' Writing and Cinema, ed. J. Bignell, Harlow: Addison, Wesley, Longman. 1999: 119-133

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'The Passion for Gossip and the Power of Convention. Tarantino and Flaubert.' Versus. Quaderni di studi semiotici. Special issue, «Voci e rumori: la propagazione della parola» ed. P. Fabbri & I.Pezzini. 79 (1998) 79-93

- Cohen, A. J. J. ' 'Some Like It Hot'. Billy Wilder' s virtuoso strategies of laughter and play.' Interdigitations. Essays for Irmengard Rauch, eds. G. Carr, W. Harbert, L. Zhang, Bern: Peter Lang. 1998: 667-680

- Cohen, A. J. J. ' 'Natural Born Killers'. Rhythms of the Filmic Image and Styles of Violence.' Semiotics of the Media. State of the Art, ed W. Noeth, Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 1997: 239-254

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Tarantino. Mise-en-scene and Rituals of Duels.' La Licorne. IV «Objects in Film»: (1997) 234-246

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Filmic Dissolves on the Art of Russell Forester.' Russell Forester, unauthorized autobiography. Volume 27 Retrospective. Santa Monica: Smart Art Press. 1997: 76-88

- Cohen,A. J. J. 'Ipermemoria e Iconofilia. Montag tra Freud e le Scienze Cognitive.' Coll. Montag, Volume 2. La natura della visione, ed. B. Antomarini, Rome: Edizioni Farenheit 451. 1997: 173-185, 227 & 231

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Freud's Paradox of Temporality. Freud's Nachtraglichkeit, Lacan's Schema R.' IJGLSA, Interdisciplinary Journal of Germanic Linguistics and Semiotic Analysis. [Inaugural Issue] 1,1 (1996) 21-40

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible in Chess Ecstasy.' Semiotics Around the World. Synthesis in Diversity. Proceedings of the Fifth International Congress of Semiotics, eds. I. Rauch and G. Carr., Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter. 1996: 603-607

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Stochastics of Sex and Death in 'Basic (Filmic) Instinct'.' Semiotica. «Special issue. Christian Metz». 112, 1/2 (1996) 109-122

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Godard et la passion du feminin. Cas extremes de Marie et Armide.' Vertigo. Revue de Cinema et d'Esthetique, «feminin/masculin», 14 (1996) 111-118

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Blade Runner': Aesthetics of Agonistics and the Law of Response'. Il Cannocchiale. Rivista di studi filosofici. 3 (1996) 43-58

- Cohen, A. J. J. ' 'La Meduse' du Caravaggio. 'La Jetee' de Chris Marker. Chiasmes pour Louis Marin.' Documents de Travail, Nos. 243&244, Hommages a Louis Marin. Urbino: Centro Internazionale di Semiotica e Linguistica. 1995: 1-19

- Cohen, A. J. J. 'Quid pro quo/ The Silence of the Lambs. Trasposizioni: romanzo - script - film.' Carte Semiotiche. Nuova Serie, 2 (1995) 74-84


- Invited Lectures [Cohen presents an average of 15 papers a year at invited lectures, Conferences, Congresses and Colloquia - aside from media interviews, or minor interventions. 2008 lectures will be listed at the end of the year].

- Graduate seminars taught in recent years:
Film theory and postmodern Cinemas. Kubrick/Filmic Philosophy. Philosophy and Aesthetics. Kubrick & Foucault. Foucault and Lacan on Ethics. The Intellectual Itinerary of Michel Foucault. Semiotics of Narrative. Intro to Theory. 1895-1995: The Dual Centennial of Psychoanalysis & Cinema.Lacan, Kohut & Kristeva: Psychoanalytic Approaches. Lacan and Freud and Modernism. Intro to Semiotics

- Undergraduate courses taught in recent years:
Masterworks of SF Films. War Cinema. WWi, WWII, Vietnam war. Virtual Reality Films. Stanley Kubrick's War Films. Cinema of Obsession. Cult Films & Re-Makes. The Bl-&-Wh films of Woody Allen. PostModern cinema and French New Wave. Psychotics in American Cinema. The Films of Stanley Kubrick.
Martin Scorsese from Taxi Driver to Casino. Deconstructing Woody Allen. Aesthetics of Filmic Violence. Comedy & Dark Comedy: Some Like it Hot to Pulp Fiction. Twelve Monkeys and Lost Highway: Filmic experiments with Time and Death. Images of Las Vegas in American cinema. Semiotics of Narrative.
Text-into-Film. Shakespeare's & Welles's Othello.

- Technical analysis of films:
Shot-by-shot studies [sound and image]
Filmmakers' style
Film Genres [cross-ref.]
Image combination systems in film
History of cinema and video

- Alain J.-J. Cohen curated several exhibitions at the UCSD Ida and Cecil Green Faculty Club - e.g. 'Æsthetics of Science' (Winter 2003), with the participation of SIO (Scripps Institute of Oceanography), SDSC (San Diego Supercomputer Center), and other UCSD cutting edge labs. Refer to Links:
http://www.npaci.edu/online/v7.4/artshow.html
http://siovizcenter.ucsd.edu/news_events/2003/02/13th.shtml

- Over the years Cohen presented a series of TV programs -- on Godard, Kubrick, Woody Allen, Painting in Cinema, War Cinema. In 1998 he co-produced with J. Menier a documentary on the artwork of architect-artist Russell Forester.

- Cohen's 'Top 10 FILMS' [he also wrote about them]. Response to 2001 survey, modified in 2003:
1. Chris Marker: La Jetée 1962
2. Sergei Eisenstein: Ivan the Terrible 1944 & 1946
2. Jean-Luc Godard: Le Mépris 1963
4. Michelangelo Antonioni: L Avventura 1960
4. Stanley Kubrick: A Clockwork Orange 1971
4. Martin Scorsese: Taxi Driver 1977
4. David Lynch: Lost Highway 1997
4. Peter Greenaway: Pillow Book 1996
9. Akira Kurosawa: Kagemusha 1980
10. [ex aequo] Orson Welles: Touch of Evil 1958; Ingmar Bergman: Persona 1966; Alain Resnais: Hiroshima mon amour 1959; François Truffaut: Jules & Jim 1961; Woody Allen: Zelig 1983; Claire Denis: Trouble every day 2000; Ridley Scott: BladeRunner 1982; et al.

Above-scale films: (several films by the directors listed above) as well as Billy Wilder: Some Like it Hot 1959; F. W. Murnau: Sunrise 1927; Ch. Chaplin: most of his silent work; L. &. A Wachowski: The Matrix (I) 1999; et al.