9.3 Identification and subject positioning in film viewing

Psychoanalytic approaches to film spectatorship explore how we connect with characters and stories on screen. This involves psychological alignment, emotional investment, and unconscious processes that shape our viewing experience. Techniques like point-of-view shots and close-ups guide our identification.

Spectator positioning in narratives uses camera angles, editing, and sound to align viewers with specific perspectives. This can reinforce or challenge cultural values and construct gendered or racialized viewpoints. Suture theory explains how we're "stitched" into the film's world.

Psychoanalytic Approaches to Film Spectatorship

Process of film identification

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• Identification in film viewing activates psychological alignment with characters or situations prompts emotional investment in narrative events (Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins)
• Psychoanalytic significance reveals unconscious processes at work during film viewing triggers projection of personal desires and fears onto characters
• Mechanisms of identification employ:
  1. Point-of-view shots simulate character's perspective
  2. Close-ups of character reactions emphasize emotional states
  3. Narrative focus on specific characters guides viewer attention
• Significance in film theory challenges notion of passive spectatorship highlights active psychological engagement of viewers

Spectator positioning in narratives

• Spectator positioning techniques utilize camera angles and movements (low angle, tracking shots) manipulate editing patterns (cross-cutting, montage) leverage sound design (diegetic vs non-diegetic)
• Subject positioning within narrative aligns with protagonist's perspective shifts identifications among multiple characters (Pulp Fiction, The Godfather)
• Suture theory describes process of "stitching" viewer into film's symbolic order employs shot/reverse shot technique to create continuity
• Ideological implications reinforce or subvert dominant cultural values construct gendered or racialized viewing positions

Psychological Processes in Film Identification

Mirror stage in character identification

• Lacan's mirror stage concept describes infant's recognition of self in mirror leads to formation of ideal ego
• Application to film viewing treats screen as metaphorical mirror presents characters as idealized self-images
• Ego formation in cinema involves viewer's temporary adoption of character traits reinforces or challenges self-concept
• Cinematic techniques facilitating mirror stage dynamics incorporate reflective surfaces within film frame (Black Swan) showcase character transformations and makeovers (The Devil Wears Prada)

Identification and cinematic subjectivity

• Subjectivity in cinema shapes individual's sense of self through film experience intersects personal identity with cultural narratives
• Identification's role in subjectivity construction allows temporary adoption of multiple subject positions expands viewer's experiential repertoire
• Cinematic devices for constructing subjectivity employ voiceover narration (Fight Club) utilize subjective camera techniques (Lady in the Lake) present dream or memory sequences (Inception)
• Critical perspectives on identification and subjectivity include feminist film theory's critique of male gaze explore postcolonial approaches to cross-cultural identification
• Ethical considerations weigh potential for empathy and understanding against risks of cultural appropriation or stereotyping