"Lack" - Treadwell's desire to befriend/become a bear
An example of Lacan's notion of "lack" is the film text Grizzly Man, a documentary made in 2005 by Werner Herzog. The entire narrative of the text is about how a man, Timothy Treadwell, wanted and even believed that he had made friends with a tribe of grizzly bears in an Alaskan reserve. The physical representation of "lack", shown through Treadwell, is that he wanted to become friends with bears and even to an extent become one of them which is impossible - due to the massive differences between the human species and bears.
In terms on technical signification in the film, the editing that has been used to create the narrative of the text also allows the director to encode and construct his own opinion into the text. Werner Herzog chose to encode clips from Treadwell's original footage (of which there is over 100 hours worth) and accompany it with contrasting clips of interviews that he filmed of/with his close friends and people who didn't know him personally - such as the mortician, rangers/agents who worked at the Alaskan reserve, and ecologist. This choice to edit clip of other interviewees, in itself, actually presents Lacan's notion of "lack" as each of the individuals being interviewed acts in a false manner with the presence of the camera in the room - particularly the lady introduced as Timothy Treadwell's ex girlfriend - who acts overtly fake and overly sympathetic towards both him and the lady he was killed with (his present girlfriend of the time). The music or non-diegetic sound that has been added in during the editing process (quite "happy" and almost relaxing guitar music), makes the clips feel more empathetic and also causes audience members to feel more sympathy and understanding towards Treadwell.
Tuesday 13 December 2016
Wednesday 7 December 2016
Psychoanalytical Film Theory - Lacan:
Mirror stage:
Jacques Lacan proposed that the mirror stage/phase was as stage of development between the ages of 6 to 18 months. In the early 1950s, Lacan had further developed his theory: as opposed to the mirror stage just being a moment in a baby/child's life, he believed that it represented a permanent (unreachable) ideal or a model of "imaginary order".
Notion of "Lack":
"Desire is a relation of being to lack. The lack is the lack of being properly speaking. It is not the lack of 'this or that' but the lack of being whereby the being exists".
Lacan's notion of lack is similar to Freud's approach of the ID acting on a hedonistic/self-indulgent lifestyle, the superego acting on the moral principles and the "lack" (relating to the ego) which acts as an in between/balance. This theory/notion is shown and represented a great deal in films particularly through the protagonist of the text (for example: Blue Velvet - Lynch, Vertigo - Hitchcock)
"Fantasies have to be unrealistic because the moment, the second that you get what you seek, you don't, you can't want it anymore" - The Life of David Gale (2003). Essentially, we crave and strive for something that is forever out of reach.
Jacques Lacan proposed that the mirror stage/phase was as stage of development between the ages of 6 to 18 months. In the early 1950s, Lacan had further developed his theory: as opposed to the mirror stage just being a moment in a baby/child's life, he believed that it represented a permanent (unreachable) ideal or a model of "imaginary order".
Notion of "Lack":
"Desire is a relation of being to lack. The lack is the lack of being properly speaking. It is not the lack of 'this or that' but the lack of being whereby the being exists".
Lacan's notion of lack is similar to Freud's approach of the ID acting on a hedonistic/self-indulgent lifestyle, the superego acting on the moral principles and the "lack" (relating to the ego) which acts as an in between/balance. This theory/notion is shown and represented a great deal in films particularly through the protagonist of the text (for example: Blue Velvet - Lynch, Vertigo - Hitchcock)
"Fantasies have to be unrealistic because the moment, the second that you get what you seek, you don't, you can't want it anymore" - The Life of David Gale (2003). Essentially, we crave and strive for something that is forever out of reach.
Freudian theory example - Deadpool:
Id - Deadpool
Ego - Negasonic Teenage Warhead
Superego - Colossus
Deadpool - Represents the id as he is constantly acting out and doing as he wants/desires.
Negasonic Teenage Warhead - Seems to be the middle ground between the two characters of Colossus and Deadpool, in some respects wanting to be more like Deadpool but refraining from doing so as she understands the moral consequences and instead agrees to balance out the id with the superego Colossus.
Colossus - Acts as the superego as he represents moral understanding and a more controlling nature, attempting to reign Deadpool in and make him act with more self-control.
A good example of the Freudian theory in Deadpool is during the first few minutes of the film, where Deadpool is trying to kill Francis but Colossus and NTW (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) are sitting behind him, Colossus currently lecturing Deadpool on why he shouldn't do it. In this scene, which takes place on a motorway bridge in New York City, all three of the Freudian trio (id, ego and superego) are present, visually representing each of their roles. Deadpool's attitude and language convey to the audience how he is driven purely by what he wants - showing aggression towards anyone who goes against him or tries to control him (like the superego Colossus does). The camera has been used in a series of mid-shots, causing the audience to see the situation from Deadpool's perspective as they are placed on the same level as him.
Ego - Negasonic Teenage Warhead
Superego - Colossus
Deadpool - Represents the id as he is constantly acting out and doing as he wants/desires.
Negasonic Teenage Warhead - Seems to be the middle ground between the two characters of Colossus and Deadpool, in some respects wanting to be more like Deadpool but refraining from doing so as she understands the moral consequences and instead agrees to balance out the id with the superego Colossus.
Colossus - Acts as the superego as he represents moral understanding and a more controlling nature, attempting to reign Deadpool in and make him act with more self-control.
A good example of the Freudian theory in Deadpool is during the first few minutes of the film, where Deadpool is trying to kill Francis but Colossus and NTW (Negasonic Teenage Warhead) are sitting behind him, Colossus currently lecturing Deadpool on why he shouldn't do it. In this scene, which takes place on a motorway bridge in New York City, all three of the Freudian trio (id, ego and superego) are present, visually representing each of their roles. Deadpool's attitude and language convey to the audience how he is driven purely by what he wants - showing aggression towards anyone who goes against him or tries to control him (like the superego Colossus does). The camera has been used in a series of mid-shots, causing the audience to see the situation from Deadpool's perspective as they are placed on the same level as him.
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