Fight Club (1999)
In order to apply Freud's theory, I decided to use David Fincher's 1999 film 'Fight Club;. This is because it is a deeply psychological film, revolving around the mind of an unstable man; thus allowing me to conduct a psychoanalysis of the character.
The protagonist's alter-ego - Tyler Durden, represents the Id within the film. He is irrational and impulsive, and expresses only his primal and physical desires, rather than discuss and contemplate his feelings on a physical and intellectual level, just as the SuperEgo and the Ego do. Tyler focuses on trying to get the narrator to rid himself of his controlling ego traits. This is evident in the car crash scene, in which Tyler is behind the wheel and Edward (The Narrator) is passenger. Tyler is constantly undermining Edward with comments such as "your fucking pathetic" and "just let go", drilling him and threatening to crash until he finally submits, saying: "Fine I wouldn't feel anything good about my life is that what you want to hear?". It is at this point that the id finally has control over the ego, this is evident from the non-diegetic music that begins to play, that is deep and similar to that of a heartbeat; the deep tone of the music, I believe, is representative of how the id personality resides in the depths of the mind. This is also reinforced by the dark, low-key lighting throughout the scene; at one point the light from an oncoming van even produces a shadow on half of Edward's face, signifying the conflict between light and dark - reason and desire. Another scene where the Id triumphs is when Edward rejects and shuts out Marla - the superego of the film. In this particular scene, for one, the Id is physically situated within the basement of the setting, in the depths, thus signifying the repressed urges of the mind and the ID. He is also not apart of the conversation between the Ego and the SuperEgo, the id does not concern itself with the social restraints of the Ego and the Super ego, it is almost a completely separate consciousness. Edward Norton (The Narrator) is the Ego. The Narrator focuses on material things, like how much he can buy from an Ikea catalog - he says himself that his apartment alone is what defines him as a person, while Tyler lives his life with the belief that "the things you own end up owning you". The film’s narrator is not a whole person; he is merely the representation of a person’s ego that, for the duration of the film, lets go of the reigns of control attached to his id. In the scene with Marla, the Ego is dominated by the id, by submitting to the primal urge of confrontation by essentially commanding the superego. Marla Singer is a representation off the super ego, the aspect of the mind that rivals the id. In this scene she is essentially begging the narrator for an explanation for the mark on his hand, she isn't compassionate or emotional, she simply wants the practical, objective answer to the question. She is not concerned with the subjective, emotional answer (essentially provided by the ID), she wants the facts, the truth. Additionally, Marla (The Super Ego) never listens to Tyler Durden, she is fixated on the Ego (the narrator).
Fight Club (1999)
In order to apply Freud's theory, I decided to use David Fincher's 1999 film 'Fight Club;. This is because it is a deeply psychological film, revolving around the mind of an unstable man; thus allowing me to conduct a psychoanalysis of the character.
The protagonist's alter-ego - Tyler Durden, represents the Id within the film. He is irrational and impulsive, and expresses only his primal and physical desires, rather than discuss and contemplate his feelings on a physical and intellectual level, just as the SuperEgo and the Ego do. Tyler focuses on trying to get the narrator to rid himself of his controlling ego traits. This is evident in the car crash scene, in which Tyler is behind the wheel and Edward (The Narrator) is passenger. Tyler is constantly undermining Edward with comments such as "your fucking pathetic" and "just let go", drilling him and threatening to crash until he finally submits, saying: "Fine I wouldn't feel anything good about my life is that what you want to hear?". It is at this point that the id finally has control over the ego, this is evident from the non-diegetic music that begins to play, that is deep and similar to that of a heartbeat; the deep tone of the music, I believe, is representative of how the id personality resides in the depths of the mind. This is also reinforced by the dark, low-key lighting throughout the scene; at one point the light from an oncoming van even produces a shadow on half of Edward's face, signifying the conflict between light and dark - reason and desire. Another scene where the Id triumphs is when Edward rejects and shuts out Marla - the superego of the film. In this particular scene, for one, the Id is physically situated within the basement of the setting, in the depths, thus signifying the repressed urges of the mind and the ID. He is also not apart of the conversation between the Ego and the SuperEgo, the id does not concern itself with the social restraints of the Ego and the Super ego, it is almost a completely separate consciousness. Edward Norton (The Narrator) is the Ego. The Narrator focuses on material things, like how much he can buy from an Ikea catalog - he says himself that his apartment alone is what defines him as a person, while Tyler lives his life with the belief that "the things you own end up owning you". The film’s narrator is not a whole person; he is merely the representation of a person’s ego that, for the duration of the film, lets go of the reigns of control attached to his id. In the scene with Marla, the Ego is dominated by the id, by submitting to the primal urge of confrontation by essentially commanding the superego. Marla Singer is a representation off the super ego, the aspect of the mind that rivals the id. In this scene she is essentially begging the narrator for an explanation for the mark on his hand, she isn't compassionate or emotional, she simply wants the practical, objective answer to the question. She is not concerned with the subjective, emotional answer (essentially provided by the ID), she wants the facts, the truth. Additionally, Marla (The Super Ego) never listens to Tyler Durden, she is fixated on the Ego (the narrator).
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