HNCCMP-2014-2015

Unit 11: Film Studies

PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY IN FILM

Film, having spanned centuries of entertainment, has become one of the most
highly acclaimed and respected art forms of the modern era. Much like many
other forms of art, film has gone through change after change, generation after
generation, to appeal to new audiences, cultures and areas of society across the
globe. With such a large library of films, genres and auteurs, and with the art
form having a long spanning and complex history, it is understandable that film
is not exclusively considered a creative subject, but also an academic subject,
commonly studied in universities and colleges throughout the world. Film studies,
defined as an academic discipline that deals with various theatrical, historical
and critical approaches to films (Dyer, 2000), includes the use of many different
film theories, some of which are exclusive to film, and others which have been
adapted and applied to film. Popular film theories which are studied universally
include Marxist film theory1, feminist film theory2, auteur theory3, and genre
studies4. Having researched into genre studies in a previous essay (Murray,
2014), I have taken it upon myself to increase my knowledge on film theories,
choosing to research and study psychoanalytical film theory in detail.
Psychoanalytic theory has a long, complex history. It is important
that I
cover the psychological history of the theory as best I can, so
readers can better understand the theory before I discuss how it is
applied in cinema. Psychoanalytic theory, also referred to as
psychoanalytical theory, was developed by Austrian doctor and
lecturer Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis, in Vienna in
the 1890s. Regarded as one of the most influential - and
controversial - minds of the 20th century (BBC), Freud
developed the theory that all humans have unconscious
impulses which conflict with defences for supremacy.
Developing this theory, all components of human personality
are
broken down and categorised into three unconscious forces
Figure 1: Sigmund
in the mind, known as the id, the ego and the superego.
Freud
Likely the best and most basic way of visualising the theory, is to imagine
yourself as the ego, a little devil on one shoulder as the id, and an angel
sitting on the other shoulder as your superego. Everyone has all three forces in
the unconscious mind, and it is how these are balanced and controlled which
effects our consciousness and actions.

1 Marxist film theory One of the oldest and more complex film theories.
2 Feminist film theory Theoretical film criticism derived from feminist politics.
3 Auteur theory An understanding that the director is more to be considered
the author of the movie.
4 Genre studies An academic subject which studies genre theory. (See my previous
essay for more info.)
Ryan Gerard Murray

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Unit 11: Film Studies

Figure 2: Visual representation of the id, the ego and the superego.

THE ID (INSTINCTS):
It is believed that everyone is completely id at birth, with the
ego and superego developing later in life as part of growth.
The id contains the primitive and instinctive personality
components such as the life instinct and the aggressive death
instinct. The id reacts to situations and instincts immediately and
operates on the pleasure principle, which is the idea that every
impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless of any
consequences (McLeod, 2008). The id is chaotic and has no sense of
reality.
Example: Bart was stuck in traffic. He just wanted his vehicle to move! Enraged
at the situation, Bart pulled his car onto the shoulder and sped forward, not
caring that he was clipping peoples side mirrors as he tried to get ahead of the
cars in front of him. (YourDictionary.com)

THE EGO (REALITY):

The ego works with reason and is aware of reality, unlike the
chaotic and unreasonable id. It is the part of your personality
which is responsible with dealing with reality (Cherry). It develops
after the id to ensure that the ids impulses are expressed in a
manner than is acceptable in the real world. A good way to
explain the ego, is to imagine the id and the ego constantly
fighting, with the id wanting to react to impulses instantly, but
the ego forcing it to see reason, and therefore react to those
impulses in a socially reasonable way, or not act on them at all.
Example: Hillary was so sweaty after her workout that she wanted to change
her clothes right there by the car. However, she knew the other people around
her would not approve, so she waited until she was in the restroom to change.
(YourDictionary.com)

THE SUPEREGO (MORALITY):

The superego is the last part of the personality to develop and is broken down
into two parts, the ego ideal and the conscience. The ego ideal includes the
rules and standards of good behaviour, which obeying leads to feelings of pride
and acomplishment (Cherry) while the conscience identifies that which is
considered bad by the likes of parents and society. Even though the superego

Ryan Gerard Murray

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Unit 11: Film Studies

and the ego may reach the same decision about something, the
superegos reason for that decision is more based on moral
values, while the egos decision is based more on what others
will think or what the consequences of an action could be
(YourDictionary.com). The superego is morality driven and to be
completely superego would to be your ideal moral self both
personally and in society.
Example: When Michael saw the $5 bill lying on the floor with no one around it,
he turned it into the school office in case anyone came looking for it. He wouldnt
want to lose $5, and hoped that whoever had lost it would ask about it in the
office. (YourDictionary.com)

Psychoanalysis entry into film began almost as soon as film itself. As the theory
is based on the mechanics of the human mind, and all humans have these
mechanics at work, it is understandable u
that film characters mentality can be studied like that of a real person. Taking
genre into consideration it is important that characters are relatable, and that
their mentality runs deep. Both film and psychoanalysis began in the 1890s and
have inspired each other and entwined ever
since. In 1925, Hans Newman contacted
Sigmund Freud with plans to make a dramatic
film which explores the process of
interpretation of dreams. (Greenberg, 2008)
The film eventually came to light and was
titled Secrets of a Soul. Telling the story of a
scientist who is tormented by an irrational
fear of knives and the irresistible compulsion
to murder his wife (Kinolorber), Secrets of a
Soul is known as the first film to have deliberately applied the theory of
psychoanalysis, creating a complex character and allowing viewers to explore his
state of mind.

One of the most iconic uses of psychoanalysis in film is found

in the form of the character Norman Bates from Alfred
Hitchcocks Psycho. Psycho tells the story of motel owner and
later discovered serial killer Norman Bates, who seems to
have an unnatural obsession with his mother. An imbalance
in the id, ego and superego can cause unusual actions from a
person, and could potentially create a chaotic character. In
the case of Norman Bates, his id is overpowering his ego and
superego, causing him to act on animalistic instincts.
In conclusion, I believe I have clearly outlined the history of psychoanalysis, how
it became to be applied to film, and the importance and use of psychoanalytical
film theory. It is clear that it is vital to apply psychoanalytic theory to create a
diverse and complex character, and to allow the audience the opportunity of

Ryan Gerard Murray

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Unit 11: Film Studies

delving further into another mind-set. It is successfully used to make characters

seem more human and relatable. Although, as previously mentioned, the first
known use where the theory was deliberately applied to film was in 1925, it is
clear from watching older films that previous directors have applied the theory
without even knowing they had, or what it was. Psychoanalysis is something that
has clearly always belonged in film, and always will.

Ryan Gerard Murray

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Unit 11: Film Studies

BIBLIOGRAPHY
BBC. History: Sigmund Freud. BBC History. [Online]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/freud_sigmund.shtml.
Cherry, Kendra. The Id, Ego and Superego: The Structural Model of Personality.
About.com. [Online]
http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/personalityelem.htm.
Dyer, Richard. 2000. Film Studies: Critical Approaches. Film Studies: Critical
Approaches. Oxford : Oxford UP, 2000, Introduction, pp. 1-8.
Greenberg, Harvey Roy. 2008. Secrets of a Soul: A History of Psychoanalysis
and Cinema. Philoctetes. [Online] February 29, 2008.
http://www.philoctetes.org/calendar/secrets_of_a_soul_the_history_of_pscychoana
lysis_and_cinema/.
Kinolorber. Secrets of a Soul. Kinolorber. [Online] http://www.kinolorber.com/.
McLeod, Saul. 2008. Id, Ego and Superego. Simply Psychology. [Online] 2008.
http://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.html.
Murray, Ryan Gerard. 2014. Horror (Defining Characteristics of Genre and
Genre Conventions). 2014.
YourDictionary.com. Examples of Id Ego and Superego. YourDictionary.com.
[Online] http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-id-ego-andsuperego.html.

Ryan Gerard Murray

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