A Metaphorical Passage to God: Simone Weil and Robert Bresson

Authors

• V. G. Voigt Hogg PhD, University of Otago Ōtākou Whakaihu WakaFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/ 0009-0003-1461-4425

Abstract

VOIGT HOGG_Abstract (REVISED)_Journal of Religion & Film_30 April 2026

This article contrasts the metaphysical and religious philosopher Simone Weil’s concepts of attachment and detachment with auteur director Robert Bresson’s method of subtraction. It argues for a commonality in their philosophy and cinema, that guides the reader or viewer respectively, to perceive a metaphorical passage to God through the lived experience of suffering. The article considers by what means does Weil and Bresson share a mutual commitment to understanding the state of the soul in affliction, while also acknowledging an opposition in the interpretation of detachment in relation to suicide. The comparability is shown by analyzing the cinema of Bresson through the lens of Weil’s concepts. When explicating the thought behind attachment and detachment, initially in the context of Weil’s philosophy, and further, in relation to Bresson’s method of subtraction and cinematic intentions, it is apparent that the characterization in Bresson’s cinema enacts the concepts of Weil. The comparison confirms that attachment and detachment are demonstrated through Bresson’s constructed narrative. This parallel will be emphasized in the analysis of Pickpocket (1959).

Recommended Citation

Voigt Hogg, V. G. PhD (2026) "A Metaphorical Passage to God: Simone Weil and Robert Bresson," Journal of Religion & Film: Vol. 30: Iss. 2, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol30/iss2/3

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

VolNum

30