The latent symbolism in film imagery can be psychoanalyzed just like the imagery in dreams. This work applies to film the psychoanalytic techniques of Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Joseph Campbell, Otto Rank and Rollo May, providing a fundamental understanding of film symbols and structure. It offers a comprehensive and eclectic approach to film analysis, using a broad variety of theories and examples from both classic and contemporary movies, from Dracula (1930) to American Beauty (1999). The final chapter applies all the previously discussed techniques to one film, Malcolm X (1992). The work boasts a filmography and bibliography and is illustrated with film stills.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

William Indick is Professor of Psychology at Dowling College in Oakdale, New York. He is the author of several books on media psychology, and has written for numerous psychology journals. He lives in Islip, New York.

William Indick
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 227
Bibliographic Info: photos, filmography, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2004
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1953-1
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8092-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      viii

Preface      1

Introduction: Film as Myth      3

1: Analyzing the Movie Dream      5

2. Archetypes of Oz      16

3: Heroes and Villains            26

4: The Myth of the Birth of the Hero      43

5: Religious Symbolism in Film      57

6: The Monomyth      71

7: Archetype Evolution      95

8: Superheroes and Underdogs      106

9: The Personal Myth      114

10: The Modern Myths      129

11: The Horrors of Childhood      141

12: The American Family and Its Mechanisms of Defense      155

13: Characters in Crisis      170

Conclusion: An Eclectic Approach to Film Analysis      191

Filmography      201

Bibliography      215

Index      217

“very entertaining…a fine job”—Metapsychology.