Sybil (1976)

Movie Background: 1976 American television miniseries

Director: Daniel Petrie

        <Sybil> talks about a young lady who suffered in DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) as she was abused in her childhood. DID means there are presence of two or more distinct personality states that recurrently take control of the individual. After altering personality, she may have totally different memory, history, behavior pattern, and personality. Sometimes, Sybil’s memory black out when other personalities came out. This recurrent dissociative amnesia makes Sybil has gaps in remote memory of personal life events, lapses in dependable memory, and experiences dissociative fugues. She may suddenly find herself in strange places and not remembers how she ended up there.

            One of Sybil’s personalities, Victory knows about other personalities exist, while the other personalities include Sybil did not know. This called one- way amnesic. These personalities switch when triggered by negative or stressful experience. DID could onset on any age so that we couldn’t tell when Sybil’s disorder onset. However, it is significant to tell that Sybil’s experience of prolonged, severe childhood sexual abuse with her childhood friends. This is the major cause for her to split these 16 personalities which indicate each of her friends’ personality.

             Dissociation is a defense mechanism and a bad habit as it indicates the personality trying to escape from the stressful and fearful situation. When Sybil heard her voice similar with her mother via recorder, her defense mechanism immediately opened and switched to a baby personality.

            In this situation, Sybil needs for supportive environment from her friends or family but her father is a very skeptical person who conforms church’ rules slavishly thinks that hospital and psychiatrists are not good for Sybil. Sybil’s psychiatrist, Dr. Wilbur is a responsible and sympathy person. She tried her best to help Sybil integrate all the personalities. This is important as it helps to create awareness of sub- personalities, and recognize, examine, confront triggers for switching. 

Short clip from Sybil 1976

Schindler's list

Schindler's list

Movie Background: 1993 American epic historical period drama film

Director: Steven Speilberg

< Schindler's List> talked about how a man who used to focus on earning money and power eventually spent all his money in order to save people’s lives. Schindler was a charismatic and intelligence man who good in building rapport with people. He had high social awareness as he read the situation, make adjustments and adapted his behavior and attitude to suit the situation. He pretended he is prone to German armed forces, but in facts, his motivation is to protect Jews people from being killed. On the other hand, he was a womanizer. He can't even picked out one suitable lady as his secretary as he thought all of them are good, so he just hired all the interviewee. Even though he used to flirt with other women, but he knew that his wife is irreplaceable and he knew that his love towards his wife is different.

Schindler was a transformational leader. He able to inspire his workers by using his charisma. From the moment he hired Jews, he started to care more about other Jews' lives. He hired more and more Jews in his factory and all his workers are respect him and thankful. He creates working opportunity for people in order to help them avoid from being killed. He engaged in high relationship management as he emphasized to maintain good relationship with people. He can remember all his workers' names and this eventually written in the name list that Schindler passed to German officer in order to save workers' lives. In addition, he listened to his workers' opinions, and help them and their family to develop skills. He willing to take risk and spent his money just to save as more Jews as he can. 

His kind- hearted behavior and sacrificed was remembered by his workers and all of them signed up petition to government in order to lessen Schindler's punishment. 

He felt ashamed and guilty while facing these workers who fully believe in him as he supposed can save more lives if he put in more efforts. However, it is not easy for ones to sacrifice own money, reputation and power in order to save strangers' lives. But Schindler did it.

Trailer of Schindler's List

Hunt for the Wilder People

Hunt for the Wilder People

Movie background: 2016 New Zealand adventure comedy- drama film 

Director: Taika Waititi

<Hunt for the Wilder People> basically talked about the journey of a young boy, Ricky and an old man, Hector who both trying to escape from wanted and survive in jungle. Ricky is a troublesome orphan who used to misbehave and he was sent to Hector's home as adopted child. It is not easy to keep Ricky accept his new family as he used to go through abandoned and neglected. For him, it is better to reject someone before being rejected. This is his defense mechanism and therefore, he chose to run away a few times. Bella, Hector's wife, is the main character that build rapport with Ricky and help him develop sense of belonging and being loved. Her action makes relationship between Ricky and Hector closer. Even though this is a comedy, but it didn't belittle topic of 'death". Both of them immersed in grief on Bella's funeral as they are a family. 

When Hector tried to get rid of Ricky, Ricky insist to stay with him as he already treat Hector as his family member. Ricky come from a background full with rejection, abandoned and insecure. Whenever Hector tried to push him away or suggest to surrender from police, Ricky felt betrayed and abandoned. During their escape journey, Hector's dog-Zag was severely hurt and he was forced to end its life by his own hand. It is tough for him to let go his family- Zag and Bella as well. Ricky and Hector actually survived in the jungle for few months. The main reason that motivates them to survive is companion and love. Throughout the journey, they accept and learn from each other; they started to treat each other as family member. Supportive from each other is important. This escape journey would be the precious and best memory in their life. 

Trailer of <Hunt for the Wilder People>

Grace is gone

Grace is Gone

Movie Background: 2007 United States drama film

Director: James C. Strouse

< Grace is Gone> described how a father confess his wife's death to his daughters. Stanley, the strictly father who worked in a supermarket has to take care two of his daughters (Heidi and Dawn) by his own as his wife, Grace is an army who served at Iraq. When Stanley was informed about his wife' death, he was hard to accept the fact. Denial of death is anxiety management which also a defense against the brutal reality, especially when the news came unexpectedly. 

When his daughters back home from school, he immediately brought them to Enchanted Garden, a place his daughters wanted to go before. The two little girls was shocked but excited as their strictly father willing to let them play. From my perspective, I would think that as a father, Stanley felt pity and sad as his kids lost their mom in such young age. On the other side, he also need some time to calm himself and prepare the script to tell two girls. 

Besides, two reasons I think that made him left his house are because he doesn't want to stay in the house which full with memories of their happiness moment and he hopes that his wife may already come back home when they returned. This is could explain why he keep on calling his home number and left messages to his wife. Stanley also felt regret and guilty as he thinks that he should be the one at war but not his wife. This is a commiserate in his life. In order to release this suffered feelings, he express himself by doing things that unlike usual him. 

His daughter, Heidi is a sensitive girl who immediately sensed his father's emotions. She knew that something unhappy was happened but she didn't force his father harshly. She accompanied him and observed her father's reaction carefully. After the journey, Stanley eventually confess Grace's death to his daughters. Three of them cried hardly but they knew that they will accompany each other to come out from the pain. Home is always a place with love that support us gone through every hard times.Even though Grace, the wife, the mother didn't show up throughout the whole movie, but I can easily tell that she has commitment with her family and she affects her family a lots. She set a same time with little Dawn in order to remind each other to miss each other. Even she doesn't be at there physically but her love will continue stay in this family forever.

< Grace is Gone> Trailer 

Experimenter

Experimenter

Movie Background: 2015 American biographical drama film 
Director: Michael Almereyda 

< Experimenter> is based on true story of social psychologist Stanley Milgram. His curiosity and enthusiasm drove him conducted a famous radical behavior experiment to observe participants reaction towards authority while administering electric shock to strangers. Throughout the research, 65 percents of participants complete the given task ( administer fatal level of electric shock to stranger) as they choose to obey to authority while they confirmed they do not have to take responsibility for any consequences. Most of them hesitate and intend to stop the experiment while hearing voice of stranger's suffering, but then choose to continue participants when they are request by researcher to continue. This research surprisingly found that most of the people think that they will immediately stop the experiment and exclaimed that participants who continue giving electric shock is cruel and no humanity. Participants actually did not know that they reaction have been observed and recorded by the other researcher. If they do, results might be different as people tend to show their good characteristic to public.

After this research published, some of the participants felt uncomfortable and stressful towards what they done to the stranger even though they know that there is actually no electric shock. Besides, many professions tried to disapprove this experiment to publish as they exclaimed that it is unethical. There are actually many researchers used to been criticised but this is worthwhile as their studies contribute a lot knowledge in academics field. Many researchers later also replicate Milgram's experiment and they got the similar results too.

If I have a chance to conduct a social experiment without any considerations, I would like to randomly pair up two strangers in university and ask them try their best to truly treat each other as their best friends for three weeks. Motivation that drive me to conduct this experiment is because students used to stay with their familiar friends and didn't enlarge their social relationship. Besides, some people might have bias before get to know someone, this might be an opportunity to reduce bias and they might find someone who actually know them well.

Amadeus

Amadeus

Background: 1984 American period drama film

Director: Milos Forman

<Amadeus> pointed out the side effect of guilty and explained how it influenced lives of both main characters, Salieri and Mozart. Guilty leads Mozart, a young talented musician eventually died while tried to mend his guilty towards death of his father; Salieri, a respected court composer eventually trapped in lunatic asylum due to guilty of pushed Mozart towards death. Why both of these talented, respected musicians eventually end up this way? If they able to confront their guilt properly, will the ending be different?

In the view from Salieri, he is a talented court composer who deeply believes in God. He believes that his talent and desire towards music came from God and he believes that God has implanted the best talent in a modest virtue person. When he heard that famous Mozart was the music genius, Salieri believe that he is the gift from God. However, when he knew that Mozart was a boorish young man, he started to think that God is unfair and Mozart was sent to mock him. According to cognitive dissonance theory, when one's belief or expectation did not meet, he or she might distort his belief into a negative thinking. At this moment, confirmation bias occur. Whatever Mozart did, Salieri thinks that Mozart did not deserve. His jealousy impulsed him to suppress Mozart's development even though from the bottom of his heart, he was actually admired talents of Mozart. In other words, he is actually soulmate of Mozart's music. They might actually cooperate and help each other towards brighter future. But his jealousy covered his heart. In addition, religion actually provides ones to maintain positive and powerful. However, if people obsessed with their religion, their belief might be distorted and lead to negative side. Even though Mozart died eventually, but Salieri' guilt caused him become psychotic and suffered for a long time.

For Mozart, his music talent is rare and precious. Once, Mozart said to Majesty: “Forgive me, Majesty. I am a vulgar man! But I assure you, my music is not.” However, he considered as low self- monitoring as he only cares about his works no matter how others look him. Mozart has said: “I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings.” Mozart ignored banned rules and others opinions as long as he thinks that the elements make his works perfect. In this movie, one of the biggest mistakes made by Mozart was trust Salieri is the one who truly helps him. He always tried to get help from Salieri when he felt helpless. Unlike his wife, Costanze more likely to be a reserved person when she thinks someone is not trustable. Last but not least, this is the crucial point that lead Mozart to death. Salieri knew that Mozart was guilty towards his father death, he used this emotion to ask Mozart wrote the death requiem. Guilt may be a hidden cause that lead to depression or anxiety. Mozart felt extreme stress and couldn't sleep well while writing the death requiem. This stress suffered him physically and psychologically then eventually lead him to death. 

To conclude this movie by Mozart words,

 “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” 

If Salieri can treasure Mozart's talent....

Whale Rider

Background: 2002 New Zealand- German family drama film

Director: Niki Caro

<Whale Rider> described conflict between family love and traditions of Maori. According to Maori’s culture, only the first born son has qualified to become the leader. Pai, a little girl who grew up with her grandpa- Koro, a traditional elder who deeply believe in Maori tradition and eager to inherit the knowledge and skills of Maori to the "leader". Even though he loves Pai very much, but Koro used to scold Pai strictly when they have conflict about traditions. 

For some traditional elderly, they think that they have obligation to inherit their culture to their sons, as known as their cultures or family honor. For Koro, he might think that maintaining family honor and cultures are more important than either individual freedom or individual achievement. It is important for his later generations to fulfill expectations of family and society in order to develop sense of belonging to their Maori’s culture.

Pai is interested to be a leader and she did have potential; however females and second born son are not qualified. Pai’s second uncle used to be a champion of taiaha (fighting stick) competition, but his capability was neglected since that he is not the first born son. Stereotype threat can hamper one’s performance. Even though Pai’s second uncle has potential to become a good leader, but he did not fight to do so as he thinks that he is not qualified. Pai’s father is the first born son but he refused to be the leader and working at France. Just like professor John Ogbu said, oppositional identities occur when some members choose to adopt dominant culture while some of them choose to reject it.

After Pai saved those whales and almost died, her grandfather Koro finally realized that what he did was wrong. He asked for Pai’s forgiveness and accepted her to be the leader. Both Koro and Pai are lucky. Pai survived and has the chance to be leader; Koro has the chance to ask for Pai’s understanding.