Esej filmowy: dialektyka słowa i obrazu

This article concentrates on various types of relation between essay film and literature. Far from representing a traditional logocentric approach, I try to explore the position and function of a word (generally in the form of voice-of-God commentary and written text) within essayistic structure. I try to highlight the dialectic between image and sound as an aspect of essayistic self-reflexivity. I also focus on Bakhtin’s philosophy of language and apply two terms: “dialogism” and “heteroglossia” to analyze most representative examples. In my research, I have chosen a case study method, following Laura Rascaroli who claims that essay cinema is not generalizable, because each text must create the conditions of its own form.