Freudian concepts in films can turn any story into a dense psychological narrative. Sigmund Freud is considered to be the father of psychoanalysis, which is a procedure to investigate the thoughts, motives, and emotions of a human being that are hidden in one’s mind and mostly unknown to the person’s immediate environment.
Freud believed that man operated from the three levels of his mind: id, where one suppresses one’s animal instincts, ego is one’s decision-making faculty and superego, where one chooses morality.
Films are a constant study of these thoughts in their characters, which often become the motives behind their actions. This isvery evident in the works of Alfred Hitchcock. This concept is alsoseen in films with three friends, where each represents one of the levels of the human mind. For example, inHangover,Alan represents the uncontrollable id, Stu represents the ever-confused ego and Phil represents the well-adjusted superego. Here are 10 films that function according to the works of Freud in understanding the suppressed motives of their characters.
Psycho,directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was declared the first psychoanalytical thriller by film critic Serge Kaganski. The thriller was based on the novel of the same name written by Robert Bloch, which stars Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, who is on the run and spends anunfortunate night in a motel run by Norman Bates.
The film is dense in Freudian concepts, mostly in its depiction of sexual desire and violence. Bate’s complicated attachment to his mother distorted his sense of self as he had absorbed his mother’s personality, skewing his idea of a woman. The concept of man’s consuming relationship with his mother is central to Freud’s theory of the Oedipus Complex. The philosopher Slavoj Žižek adds that the three floors of Bate’s mansion represented the three levels of the human mind; id, ego, and superego where the id represents primary instincts, referring to the basement where Bates holds his harrowing secret.
Related:Exploring Alfred Hitchcock’s Two Major Themes: Fear of Authority and Female Sexuality
9A Dangerous Method
A Dangerous Method,directed by David Cronenberg, is a historical drama that depicts the early days of psychoanalysis. The film stars Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung and Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud who crosses paths with Sabina Spielren,played by Keira Knightley, impacting both in their theorizing of psychoanalysis. It is based on the bookA Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud, and Sabina Spielrenand the playThe Talking Curewritten by Christopher Hampton who wrote the screenplay of the film.
The film shows the problematic and turbulent relationship between the trio as their personal and professional life mingle to help them theorize their contributions to the field of psychology. It also shows the opposing school of thoughts the psychologists had, with Freud insisting sex be the driving force in neurosis and Jung emphasizing spiritualism inspired his relationship with Sabina, which created a rift between the two.
8The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight,directed by Christopher Nolan, is the best portrayal of Freud’s three levels of the human mind. The film is the second installment inThe Dark Knight Trilogywhichfollows Batman, James Gordon, and his team to save Gotham City from organized crime and stop the Joker from creating havoc in the city. The film repeatedly tests the notions of morality, power, and violence with the tandem of id, ego, and super-ego.
Here,Joker represents the id, as he is violent and has embraced his destructive instinctsin creating chaos in the city. He even believes when there is no food left in the world, humans will eat each other, whereas Batman is the superego always assuming the position of the ethical and moral force in Gotham fighting against Joker and his worldview. It is Harvey Dent who represents the ego as he decides which side to pick and chooses evil over good.
7Black Swan
Black Swan,directed by Darren Aronofsky, has several Freudian themes in representing the leading protagonist losing her sense of reality as she gets in touch with her dark side. The film follows Nina,played by Natalie Portman, who is a ballet dancer aiming for her lead role in the production ofSwan Lake.For the role, she is required to portray the White Swan and the Black Swan, representing the superego and id respectively. Nina is a virgin and fragile but passionate about ballet, which makes her perfect for the role of the White Swan. However, she faces rivalry from Lily, who fits the role of the Black Swan perfectly.
As both compete for the coveted spot, Nina loses her sanity as she is haunted by nightmares and is inappropriately touched by her director to get in touch with her sexuality. Nina’s ego loses stability as she oscillates between her violent intentions and morality to fit into the role.
6The Master
The Master,directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, follows what followed after the popularity of psychoanalysis. The film starred Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell, who is a World War II veteran not adjusted to post-war society. Quell meets Lancaster, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, who founded the Cause and recruits him as one of his disciples. Lancaster is loosely based on L Ron Hubbard, who was inspired by Freud’s work and founded Scientology. Hubbard distorted the teachings of Freud to form his own movement based on his improvised methods to understand human behavior.
The film shows how Quell is dismantled by the movement, loses his touch with reality, and finds himself more unstable than he was before. The film is a poignant commentary on the role psychology playedin the aftermath of the war and how it impacted PTSD-stricken veterans of the war.
5A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange,directed by Stanley Kubrick, goes behind the repressed sexual fantasies central to Freud’s work. The film is based on Anthony Burgess’s novel of the same name that critiqued behavior psychology. The protagonist of the film is Alex, played by Malcolm McDowell, who is a criminal committing the most heinous crimes known to mankind. He leads his group, named Droogs, who follow his lead into crime. Alex attempts rehabilitation through the Ludovico technique and copes with his treatment while adjusting to society.
The filmunapologetically shows how sexual deviants are unable to suppresstheir primary instincts, committing horrifying crimes against women, which is explained in Freud’s theory of one’s suppressed instincts in the unconscious.
4The Science of Sleep
The Science of Sleep,directed by Michel Gondry, is a creative commentary on Freud’s dream analysis. The film stars Gael Garcia Bernal as Stéphane Miroux, who feels left out in his job after his father’s demise. Miroux is creative and works as a graphic designer who is often unable to make out his dreams and his reality. His dreams hinder his personal life, as his hyperactive imagination makes it difficult to separate fantasy and real life.The film poignantly shows how dreams contain our repressed anxieties, fears, and fantasies that we hide from society but impact our thoughts and feelings which is a part of the unconsciousness. The film is told from the perspective of Miroux’s oscillating consciousness, subconsciousness, and unconsciousness as one tries to keep up with Miroux’s life from his shoes.
3Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,directed by Michel Gondry, incorporates dream analysis and the use of external techniques to get rid of pain and misery to ease one’s life. The film follows the distraught relationship of Joel,played by Jim Carrey, and Clementine, played by Kate Winslet, who break up. Clementine decides to go through a fictional memory-erasing procedure to forget her relationship. Joel too joins the procedure but begins to have second thoughts. The film shows the power memory has over one’s life, which was central to Freud’s understanding of unconsciousness.
The film also shows how the protagonists choose an extreme method to get rid of their memories in the hope to live a pain-free life, which supports Freud’s belief in using medication to cope with unpleasant feelings. The film also shows how Joel always looks at his ex-partner in a positive light in his dreams, showing how he ignored the red flags in his relationship leading to his breakup.
Vertigo, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is considered to be one of the best films in American cinema because of its intricate themes in depicting the male gaze, desire, and intricate psychological concepts in depth.
On the surface, the film is a thriller with Hitchcockian tropes of a mysterious blonde woman and an investigator who sees more than what meets the eye. However, the film is filled with Freudian concepts motivating every step of its main characters.
The film follows Scottie,played by James Stewart, who is assigned to investigate an acquaintance’s wife named Madeline, played by Kim Novak. Scottie suffers from vertigo as an occupational hazard, which hinders his investigation as Madeline hoards secrets from Scottie. Scottie is obsessed with Madeline’s beauty, and the film explores the themes of voyeurism and fetishism as he looks for her in every woman. Madeline also talks about her dreams about Carlotta, Scottie assures her it has nothing to do with a spirit, which becomes an integral part of the story. Madeline’s posed obsession with Carlotta is also an indication of Freud’s theory of how one’s unconscious mind guides our motivation.
Related:Has Vertigo Overtaken Citizen Kane as ‘The Best Film Ever Made?’
1Spellbound
Spellbound,directed by Alfred Hitchcock, follows a psychoanalyst as its protagonist, which indicated Hitchcock’s continued fascination with Freud. The film follows Dr. Constance Peterson, played by Ingrid Bergman, who realizes the new doctor about to replace her in the mental hospital might actually be an imposter and possibly a murderer. Dr. Peterson conducts psychoanalysis on the doctor to confirm his crime.
The film is a blend between psychological thrillerand romance as Peterson develops feelings for the man, which guides her to look for the answer to save him. The film suggests psychoanalysis might not be the answer to every puzzle of the human mind.
