Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Shirzad Tayefi ¹
• Mahshad Khakizadeh ²

¹ Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.

² Master of Arts in Persian Language and Literature, majoring in Contemporary Literature, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The interconnection between literature, cinema, and philosophy has long held a special place in interdisciplinary studies, fostering extensive theoretical contemplations within these three domains. In this research, the actions of characters in two films, "23 People" and " The Lost Strait," centered around the Iran-Iraq War, were analyzed within the framework of Søren Kierkegaard's existentialist metaphysics. Kierkegaard regarded the religious sphere as the highest level of existence for a believing human being, and defined the "knight of faith" as one who, by transcending rationality, makes a difficult choice through heartfelt faith. Given that during the Iran-Iraq War, defending the homeland was seen as a religious duty, it can be concluded that analyzing war cinema based on Kierkegaard's religious metaphysics is feasible. This research was conducted qualitatively, utilizing library resources, and the findings demonstrate that the characters under scrutiny, relying on ethical responsibility and inner faith, made choices that shaped the meaning of their lives. Consequently, this perspective can be utilized as a novel approach to examining other cinematic and literary works that are based on the moral or religious actions of characters.

Keywords

• 23 People
• The Lost Strait
• Kierkegaard’s Religious Sphere
• Knight of Faith