Freudian Essay

Freudian Analysis

Task 2) Apply Freud's theory of 'the self' (refer to a single film sequence (of your choice) and refer to the Id, Ego and the Superego.)
- Use film terms (technical & visual) to state how the theory is composed in your chosen sequence.

- Gothika

For the Freudian Analysis I focussed on the film Gothika, which in summary is a psychiatrist who awakens as a patient in the mental institution she works in, with no memory of the murder she's accused of committing. As she tries to regain her memory, a vengeful spirit manipulates her.

The Trailer of the film.

Id:
starts off as: Rachel Parsons
secretly: Dr. Doug Grey
becomes: Sheriff Ryan

Ego: Dr Miranda Grey

Supergo: Dr Pete Graham
secretly: Rachel Parsons

The scene

Notes from video 

(with pictures to represent my connotations)
starts from: 35:50 - 40:55
light placed above miranda. 
Low Key lighting, natural lighting coming from a window source and two singular light bulbs
Black man constantly within the light showing his good intentions 

lightbulbs over Pete and miranda head when Pete and sheriff walking in

Pov shot from sheriff high angle to look down on miranda

Pete in the back pull focus, so he's always there over her shoulder.

slightly central angle as he is focused from an over the shoulder shot we can see he is the one in the more powerful position.

miranda on her own to visualise vulnerability and aloneness. - juxtaposed by not alone

Scene gets faster and faster as the accusations and the tension rises shots get quicker and quicker 

Dr Pete graham has the lightbulb placed directly above his head, showing his position in the scene as the superego. He defends Miranda despite no evidence as she has never pursued behaviour or done anything like this before - also the secret affair conspiracy they were going to have - but never actually did.

Camera constantly moving as if were her mind going round and round..

I need her to look me in the eye and tell me why she did it, standing up to influence and establish his power

Dr Pete walks into the scene 'thats enough' trying to resolve and defuse the situation 
Sheriff ' you wanna see some shock treatment look at that'
Miranda don't look at them Pete

miranda looks even when influenced by superego not to.
Close up of miranda zooming in showing her and the audience frustration as we are as confused as her.

The hand thats on her back by doctor Pete graham shows his consideration for her also the sheriff is placed on the right hand side as if on the edge of society and shown in power, looking down on miranda who is placed central.

Dr Pete tries to calm her Sheriff pictured unbothered and confused but standing up and tall and wears his badge proud

Essay

In my chosen film, it portrays a psychiatrist who becomes a patient in the mental institute in which she works in. 

There is a particular long shot close to the beginning of the scene that suggests right from the off the intentions of each man. There are lightbulbs intentionally placed over heads of Miranda and Pete however not over the Sheriff showing him in darker light. Before the Sheriff sits, there is a quick point of view shot from the sheriff at high angle to look down on miranda as he is in a position of power against her, reflecting his Id.

In the first clip the Sheriff is shown to be full with anger and rage, we see him from over the shoulder shots from behind miranda connoting his distance from her mentally and psychically, when the shots are reversed to show Miranda they are close up which initially distinguishes the audiences closeness to Miranda compared to the distance they feel with the Sheriff. In the background of the shot we identify Pete to be the superego, the shot is composed completely to make Pete look like the 'angel on her shoulder' as if he is literally 'in the back of her mind' to try and guide her in case she makes any mistakes. Despite the situation in which Miranda has been put in she remains calm and composed which we categorise her now as the Ego. 

The shot pans around them slowly to show both reactions and also the long table in between them to show the distance between them. The Sherif suddenly switches in the sentence 'why did you do it?' which classify's him as being the Id, uncontrollable and indistinctive. His urges are unruly as he switches in almost 20 seconds. From this single accusation, the tone of the film changes, the shots become more and more personal (closer) the shot durations become faster and faster as the tension is building up.
Pete calls out on the Sheriffs behaviour 'thats enough' to try control him in a way but the Id cannot be controlled once it has that mentality to want, in this case it's the Sheriff's want to find out why Miranda killed her husband -his best friend. 
Miranda is shown through close ups as the ego we the audience align with her as she is a woman in a vulnerable state. Some close ups show the light from the windows reflecting on her face to show the chiaroscuro effect, which we see the light in her but also the evil. The
camera constantly panning around the table mimicking Miranda's mind going round and round as she has no answers for the Id and is defenceless. We see the Id(Sheriff) stand up as if he is in a position of authority and the camera angles slightly change to show again how he is looking down on Miranda to establish his dominance over her, Pete now becomes a important device in this scene as he is resembling significant connotations of the superego, trying to keep between the Id and Ego by resolving the situation. Pete retorts 'you said no shock treatment' in a way of trying to control the Id, however the Sheriff responds by retorting his words and getting photos from the crime scene of Doug (Miranda's late husband) cut up.
The superego in this scene (Pete) replies saying 'stop it'. 'what are you doing', 'Miranda don't look at them', this is repeated few times, trying to control the ego's urges, nevertheless even when influenced not to by the superego, her Id takes over and she looks.
The scene ends with Pete trying to console Miranda as she is manic with range and disturbed, as the superego tries to do, the Id who has finished his part in trying to rile the ego up, stands and is shown in an establishing shot standing calm and collected as he has done his job as the Id.