Why is it important to understand theory before delving into topics of fear and horror?
Psychoanalysis Part 1
- Writers of the 1970s who turned to Freud and Lacan - the two most influential psychoanalysts - we- re critical, however, of what they perceived to be an underlying essentialism in Jungi- an theory, that is a tendency to explain subjectivity in unchanging, universal terms.
- According to Freud, large parts of human thought remain unconscious; that is, the subject does not know about the content of certain troubling ideas and of- ten much effort is needed to make them conscious
- These ideas have also influenced film study and some psychoanalytic critics explore the 'unconscious' of the film text - referred to as the 'subtext' - analysing it for repressed contents, perverse utterances, and evidence of the workings of desire.
Sometimes, psychoanalytic analysis can get a bit odd, but keep it in mind when it comes to subtle, subconscious, and coded moments. A lot of psychoanalytic analysis has to do with fantasy (which equals desire) and art represents the artist's desire. Therefore, many of the director's or writer's desire and fear will show up coded in the language of film. Sometimes they will have to code things out of necessity (sex couldn't be shown so they would use metaphors like cigarets, going into tunnels, or wind blowing a door open). But often, there will be things that are clearly expressions of desire and fear but the artist might not realize he or she is doing it.
Homework:
Group B post by midnight tonight
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