Psychopathy in FILM

Essay Instructions:

Hollywood takes creative license when portraying psychopathy, often with confusing results. In the movie Seven, the killer, played by Kevin Spacey, is portrayed as a psychopath who is also motivated for religious reasons. John Goodman’s character in 10 Cloverfield Lane is portrayed as person who is evil, mentally ill, and psychopathic, leaving the viewer to sort out his personality and mental state. Hannibal Lecter, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs, is portrayed as a cunning, sadistic psychopath who also enjoys fava beans and chianti. At its core, psychopathy is about control over others. At its core, mental illness is about depression, suicidal ideations, incoherent thought processes, hallucinations, and a host of other troubling symptoms. As a forensic psychology professional, you must be able to differentiate between psychopathy and mental illness and not let Hollywood—or anything else—cloud your thinking. For this Assignment, you will take on the role of a forensic psychology professional preparing a brief paper to serve as an example of an analysis of psychopathy to share with future clients. To accomplish this, you will analyze a character in a movie to determine if they are mentally ill (e.g., psychotic) or if they have a mental disorder (e.g., psychopathy). To prepare: Choose one film that portrays a subject who may be a psychopath. Examples include but are not limited to: The Silence of the Lambs Psycho Gone Girl Seven Insomnia 10 Cloverfield Lane American Psycho Misery Nightcrawler Natural Born Killers Identity We Need to Talk About Kevin Fan Saw Note: You may choose a different film if you desire. Please email your instructor by Day 3 to request permission to select a film not listed above. Watch the film and carefully consider the characteristics of the subject(s). Assignment (3- to 5-page paper, double spaced and APA formatted, not including references, title page, or abstract) Address the following in your Assignment: Describe the film you selected. Describe the subject you selected. Describe the characteristics of the subject that could be considered criminal. Provide an overall summary of the subject, describing their background (e.g., education, occupation, relationship history, psychological history). Determine if the subject is mentally ill (e.g., psychotic) or has a mental disorder (e.g., psychopathy). Explain your rationale and provide examples to illustrate your points. Your conclusions should be supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources and properly cited using APA style.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Analyzing Psychopathy in American Psycho Student’s Name Institution of Affiliation Course Instructor Date Analyzing Psychopathy in American Psycho American Psycho (2000) is a movie by Mary Harron that shows the psychopathology of Patrick Bateman, a young and successful New York investment banker who has a concealed inclination toward brutal, violent crimes. Bateman is a young professional and a gentleman who utters the right words; secretly, he is a violent psychopath. With the use of psychopathy, this movie gives society a way of looking at this personality disorder characterized by traits such as persistent antisocial behavior, lack of empathy, and manipulation of others. In particular, the essence of Bateman's personality shall be discussed to decide if he fits the criteria for psychopathy or any other mental disorder. Description of the Film American Psycho (2000), inspired by Bret Easton Ellis’s novel of 1991, is a thriller directed by Mary Harron. About the twentieth century, specifically in the 1980s, the flick narrates a New York City yuppie, investment banker Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale, according to Newell (2020). Bateman represents the selfishness and vanity of the represented epoch, and, notwithstanding their impeccable appearance and solid background, he seems to be the epitome of the movie’s materialism. The show takes the audience through two lives, but it is all in the eyes of Bateman. He has a good image and appearance, representing him in public life, but in private, he is a cruel, sadistic criminal (Kauppila, 2020). The movie graphically portrays his other violent, brutal acts and premeditated murder and torture that he commits clinically. Such a contrast between the outer shell of the successful young man who has a steady job and the inner demonic monster reflects the author's criticism of the moral values of the 1980s and the obsession with the material world. The director uses the character of Bateman to stage commentaries on the 1980s Yuppie culture and analyze related notions of identity and mental illness. The fact that the main protagonist of the film, Bateman, has certain psychopathic features makes personality disorders an exciting topic for study, giving the viewers a chance to think about what is right and what is wrong from a psychological point of view. Because of its graphic and scandalous themes, American Psycho provokes the readers' thoughts on the vices of society and personal morality. Description of the Main Character Patrick Bateman is a well-off investment professional from the 1980s in New York who represents the spirit of the period of greed. At first glance, he seems to be the embodiment of success: friendly, articulate, impeccably groomed, highly respected in his profession, and living the life of Riley in a wealthy man's Chelsea flat. However, Bateman is shown to be highly unsympathetic, as evidenced by his brutal and well-thought-out actions. He serially commits evil acts to his victims, such as killing them, torturing them, and even maiming them all in a very clinical fashion without any form of empathy towards his victims. The behavior displayed is not motivated by emotions but by cold attempts carried out with much planning. Bateman showed signs of a ''psychopathic'' personality, namely charm, manipulation, and grandiosity, as outlined by Madden (2020). His social interaction is his way of toying with those who are close to him as he tries to be expected while secretly fantasizing about how he can kill people. All environs that he has are more or less emotionally detached, and he appears not to have the slightest quiver reflective of empathy or concern for th...

Updated on December 11, 2024

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