There have been many times when the audience tends to be so attached to a movie or especially a TV series that, following its ending, it can be a bit difficult to easily move on from it. Of course, we ignore these tendencies by brushing it off, but certain works have a strange hold on different people. More often than not, there is a psychoanalytic explanation for our bias towards certain movies and TV shows.

The French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan’s mirror theory is regarded by Film Reference as the “central reference point for the emergence of psychoanalytic film theory.” Perhaps a very brief look at his theory might explain why we find ourselves so attached to certain movies and TV series. So, here’s a small introduction to Lacan’s theories that specifically laid the foundation for psychoanalytic film theory.

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The Infant: The Basis of The Theory

     Pixabay

Lacan’s theory stems from the discoveries made whilst observing infants. In reality, an infant is just a small version of a human waiting to be complete, and (the early) Lacan says that the ego forms when the infant can recognize their reflection, creating human subjectivity. In a nutshell, he argues that infants aged six to 18 months (though modern science now believes it to be at least 15 months) will eventually regard their reflection in the mirror as a whole person; this is self-alienating though, because now the infant sees itself as ‘other.’ Perhaps that is why we see infants acting all bossy and mimicking adults, as they develop an ego by assuming that their mirror-image is a whole human being.

If we were to observe the babies we come across every day, we might be able to put this analysis into practice. By simply observing how the baby attempts to take control over certain acts like cooking, fixing their toys, or even looking after baby dolls, we are able to see how these tiny humans are deceiving themselves by assuming that they are equal to the adults. Hence, their self-deception which stems from the reflection they see of themselves in the mirror is the foundation for their ego. Of course, this particular observation by Lacan can be seen as a “critical reinterpretation of the work of Freud.”

The Mirror = The Cinema Screen

     20th Century Fox

Using the infant’s mirror as the foundation, Lacan goes on to show how the cinema screen is similar to the mirror. We might not see an exact reflection of ourselves on the screen, but we might come across characters who illustrate characteristics that are similar to those of our own (or who we aspire to be, our ’ego ideal,’ as Lacan says).

For example; if you are struggling with work due to a difficult boss and co-workers, and you suddenly decide to watch The Devil Wears Prada, you might find Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway’s character in the movie) to be similar to your own self. Thus, you will be automatically inclined to agree with her and feel like she is a representation of your own self. This is all due to the cinema screen reflecting a persona who is in a similar situation to yourself.

It doesn’t even have to be a situation. It can be a character who looks like you, something we see in contemporary times when there is a call for people of color or marginalized individuals to be able to see themselves represented onscreen. Ms. Marvel is a good example, being a wonderful representation of Muslims, in turn allowing Muslim viewers to find someone similar to them on the screen. Thus, the screen becomes the mirror that brings forth characters that the viewers are able to connect to due to their relatability.

The Infant = The Spectator

     Warner Bros. 

In the same way that infants deceive themselves by looking at their mirror image, the viewer or the spectator start to deceive themselves by looking at the screen. Richard Allen explains this by stating that “an illusory sense of herself as someone who “identifies” with the position of the camera and therefore authors and owns the visual field of the film” is created.

Moreover, he shows how “the film spectator… is captivated by an ‘impression’ or illusion of reality in the cinema.” Thus, the image that the viewers perceive is much more than a mere image of a certain thing, but becomes reality to them. An example for this would perhaps be the hype behind Euphoria. Most teens and young adults tend to find the characters relatable due to their openness of their mental health, personal issues, and challenges. The incorporation of diverse characters allows a large group of spectators to find realistic images on screen which they then connect to. This self-deception leads to the spectators to develop an ego as they assume the characters to be a depiction of their own self.

Lacan in Conclusion

     Paramount Pictures

What Lacan says is that the reason why we love cinema so much is that we assume the images onscreen are a representation of our own selves, in turn, engaging in self-deception. This leads to an increase in our ego. Now, the reason as to why we don’t find ourselves thinking about why this is happening is because it all takes place in our sub-conscious. Thus, it all happens naturally.

Maybe, the next time you watch a film that you like, try to see whether it is because you see yourself in the character/s on screen. Consider why you like those characters and why you like the film, and you might just find Lacan’s theory in action.