If you want an archetypal story, I say go with an Oedipal conflict.
There was the whole first season of Star Trek where Captain Kirk was always fighting someone trying to take over the ship, which I was a little surprised to learn is considered an Oedipal conflict. The first episode of the show, "Charlie X", was essentially a science fiction version of Oedipus Rex. Captain Kirk was clearly the aggressor in the conflict, humiliating Charlie for no reason. There've been a couple of movies about aging British school masters threatened by younger teachers displacing them.
Shane took it further than most. In the opening scene, the father (Van Heflin) picks up a broken, unloaded rifle (what do you think that symbolized) that they gave to the kid to play with and tries to scare Shane with it. But Shane is a real man. He moves in. Van Heflin's wife falls in love with him and his son worships him. In the end, Helfin is going to go to town to intentionally get himself killed, and he comes right out and says he's doing it so Shane can sleep with his wife. Even then, Shane pistol whips him and takes his place in the final showdown.
This came to mind while watching this thing. Richard Widmark as a psychiatrist treating a patient who I guess has an Oedipal complex. When the young fellow is attracted to Widmark's wife, Gloria Grahame, he's afraid Widmark will do whatever father figures in these Oedipal struggles do.
A big soap opera around a private psychiatric clinic. Widescreen in Eastmancolor.
It was all right. With Lauren Becall, Charles Boyer and Lillian Gish. Oscar Levant was in there somewhere but I missed him.
Available on the Criterion Channel.
No comments:
Post a Comment