Overview

The premise of this book is that films, like other works of the imagination, may be elucidated by applying methods derived from psychoanalysis, and that doing so will result in a deeper and richer appreciation of the film's meaning. The book explores a number of feature films that lend themselves particularly well to this process. Both in his introduction and throughout the text, the author comments on the method and discusses continuities, similarities and differences among the films. The book is structured according to the central themes of the films, including time and death, love and lust, secrets, and human identity. Some of the films are relevant to more than one of these thematic elements. The introductory essay explores the themes, their representation in the films, and the ways in which they may be elucidated by a psychoanalytically informed critique. Brief paragraphs between the sections of the book facilitate the transitions. In an appendix, there are three essays titled 'Mise-en-scene,' 'Whatever Flames Upon the Night,' and 'Mad Doctors.'

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9780367104122

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Reviews

In this rich collection of essays, William Fried shares his thinking about secrets, transgression, boundaries and their violation, unconscious dynamics, love and lust, time and death, human identity and more, in film. It is not only the creativity of his thinking that he offers, but also a window into his ways of thinking, allowing us to reflect on our own ways of responding to film and take these to new limits. --Darlene Bregman Ehrenberg, PhD, ABPP, author of The Intimate Edge: Extending the Reach of Psychoanalytic Interaction A delightful psychological companion for film lovers everywhere, Critical Flicker Fusion interprets film as an imaginative work of the deeper dimensions of the mind. Fried walks us through a number of films with the skill of a master clinician, closely analyzing the openings, plots, and characters of a number of films while revealing their unconscience, relational and psychodynamic patterns and thus arriving at deeper and richer meanings. Here the dialogue between film and psychoanalysis enriches our knowledge about what it means to be human. I recommend it to all who wish to expand their understanding and experience of cinema and the human condition. -- (10/01/2016) Dr. Fried brings to the fore the power of 'reel' texts, translating them into written ones with wit and delicious eloquence. Each chapter reveals Fried's unique ability to read images with something akin to an analytic 'third eye'. In so doing, he unveils the hidden subtexts of his chosen films. The book is an invitation to conduct a dialogue between literature and psychoanalytically informed knowledge. Dr. Fried's style evokes the forerunners of our discipline who have always relied on literary masterpieces to shed light onto clinical phenomena. Critical Flicker Fusion is a brilliant contribution to contemporary attempts to delve into the rich sub-texts of cultural products. It ought to be mandatory reading for those in training to become mental health practitioners, as well for those interested in appreciating the inherent multilayers of cinematic narratives. -- (10/01/2016)

""In this rich collection of essays, William Fried shares his thinking about secrets, transgression, boundaries and their violation, unconscious dynamics, love and lust, time and death, human identity and more, in film. It is not only the creativity of his thinking that he offers, but also a window into his ways of thinking, allowing us to reflect on our own ways of responding to film and take these to new limits.""--Darlene Bregman Ehrenberg, PhD, ABPP, author of The Intimate Edge: Extending the Reach of Psychoanalytic Interaction ""A delightful psychological companion for film lovers everywhere, Critical Flicker Fusion interprets film as an imaginative work of the deeper dimensions of the mind. Fried walks us through a number of films with the skill of a master clinician, closely analyzing the openings, plots, and characters of a number of films while revealing their unconscience, relational and psychodynamic patterns and thus arriving at deeper and richer meanings. Here the dialogue between film and psychoanalysis enriches our knowledge about what it means to be human. I recommend it to all who wish to expand their understanding and experience of cinema and the human condition.""-- (10/01/2016) ""Dr. Fried brings to the fore the power of 'reel' texts, translating them into written ones with wit and delicious eloquence. Each chapter reveals Fried's unique ability to read images with something akin to an analytic 'third eye'. In so doing, he unveils the hidden subtexts of his chosen films. The book is an invitation to conduct a dialogue between literature and psychoanalytically informed knowledge. Dr. Fried's style evokes the forerunners of our discipline who have always relied on literary masterpieces to shed light onto clinical phenomena. Critical Flicker Fusion is a brilliant contribution to contemporary attempts to delve into the rich sub-texts of cultural products. It ought to be mandatory reading for those in training to become mental health practitioners, as well for those interested in appreciating the inherent multilayers of cinematic narratives.""-- (10/01/2016)

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William Fried

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