Freud, Film and The Unconscious
Psychoanalytical Approaches

- 3 posts on the theories, Freud, Lacan and Mulvey (on blog)
- Analysis of applying these theories to 3 films, analyse sequences from films (3 posts)

Freud believed that "[Dreams are] the royal road to the unconscious" and that they contained important clues into the human psyche (Weiter, 2004:195), much of his initial research methods involved questioning his patients on their dream experiences and using their descriptions as a means of uncovering their 'true' motivations and perceptions on the world.

"Film operates on much of the same principle... film speaks directly to the unconscious, the language of dreams is one that is not an abstract form of communication such as narrative, but is one that is filled with images they carry hidden meanings on a latent level. Just so is the language of film organised so that only a part of the film is communicated in a narrative form- sound and images make up the majority of the effect." (Kluge, 1999)

Therefore, the nature that is film can be, to a degree, deconstructed in order to unveil a universal understanding of our thoughts and behaviours that through identification, contributes towards our enjoyment of the film as it acts as a release mechanism of these id induced impulses.

Freudian Analysis

- The Id- Tyler Durden (Unconscious desires/ the 'repressed' - set free without conscience)

- The Ego- The 'narrator' (The conscious/IKEA lifestyle - comfortable)

- The real Tyler can be found between The Id and the Ego (one half each)

-The superego - Initially: 'The self help groups'
Then 'The Fight Clubs
Then 'Project Mayhem

-The superego will regulate 'pleasure', it will censor the Id, but will also license it

-Freud explained his famous model for brain function in the 1927 publication, The Ego and the Id. Since then, the theory has been explained with reference to a horse and chariot.

ID: most primitive, irrational and emotional, selfish, concerned only with it's self satisfaction, pleasure and instant gratification, wants

Ego: reality principle, tries to meet the basic needs of the id but also takes into account the real world, balance

Superego: Based on moral principles, morals, compromise


ENEMY