The Pervert's Guide to Cinema

2006 2h 31m EN

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7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 181

Documentary

Synopsis

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A hilarious introduction, using as examples some of the best films ever made, to some of Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek's most exciting ideas on personal subjectivity, fantasy and reality, desire and sexuality.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Slavoj Žižek
Self - Host / Philosopher
Alfred Hitchcock
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sophie Fiennes
Writers: Slavoj Žižek
Languages: English, French, German, Russian, Swedish
Countries: United Kingdom, Austria, Netherlands

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 151 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 5 languages: English, French, German, Russian, Swedish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, Austria, Netherlands.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Pervert's Guide Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sophie Fiennes, shot by Remko Schnorr. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Brian Eno. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sophie Fiennes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sophie Fiennes directs. Remko Schnorr behind the camera. Brian Eno scores. Sophie Fiennes cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, Austria, Netherlands. Dialogue in English, French, German, Russian, Swedish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 151 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
2Released 20 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 5 languages: English, French, German, Russian, Swedish.
4International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, Austria, Netherlands.
5Part of the "The Pervert's Guide Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
6Directed by Sophie Fiennes, shot by Remko Schnorr. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Brian Eno. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Sophie Fiennes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Slavoj Žižek and Alfred Hitchcock carry the top of the cast.
10IMDB entry: tt0828154 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Remko Schnorr
Original score: Brian Eno
Editing: Sophie Fiennes
Production design: Ben Zuydwijk
Makeup / hair: Sophie van der Windt
Runtime: 151 min · 2h 31m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006)

Part of

The Pervert's Guide Collection

Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek analyzes several of the most important films in the history of cinema to explain how cinematic narrative can help to understand the complicated human psyche — personal subjectivity, fantasy and reality, desire and sexuality — but also to reinforce prevailing ethics and political ideas.

Also by

Sophie Fiennes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

deepkino2025-09-18
★ 7/10
The Pervert's Guide to Cinema: A Lacanian Laughter! Slavoj Žižek’s The Pervert's Guide to Cinema isn't a film review; it's a wild, intellectual odyssey into the ideological and unconscious fantasies that lie beneath the surface of cinema. Žižek, inhabits the very cinematic spaces he is dissecting, from the toilet in The Matrix to the couch from A Clockwork Orange, to deliver a masterclass in Lacanian psychoanalysis. He views films not as stories but as reflections of our deepest desires and ideological traps, arguing for instance, that the true perversion of The Matrix is not the red or blue pill, but the "big Other"—the ideological frame that governs our every move. What makes this dense theoretical exercise accessible and wildly entertaining is Žižek’s relentless and unpredictable humor. His delivery, filled with nervous tics and absurd anecdotes, serves as a vital release valve, preventing the dense theory from becoming a purely academic lecture. This blend of philosophical gravity and personal buffoonery makes his intellectual arguments both memorable and surprisingly clear. Ultimately, The Pervert's Guide to Cinema is a singular cinematic experience. It's a challenging but deeply rewarding documentary, proving that the most profound insights are often found in the most unexpected and comical of places.

Production companies