Narcissistic personality disorder in cinema

Psychological disorders have been a good source of inspiration for the big screen. They allow the shaping of exciting plots and twists that, without a doubt, arouse the viewer’s interest. But how can narcissistic personality disorder be presented in cinema?

Many directors have turned to themes of this type for different reasons: cultural, social and reflective. Surely, we have seen a movie that addresses this disorder, but it is possible that we do not know precisely its most significant features. Therefore, let’s present some examples that offer a more specific understanding.

What is narcissistic personality disorder?

As a rule, we are talking about a personality disorder in which people tend to demand a lot of attention from others. A fact that is combined with his lack of open-mindedness when it comes to reconciling his interests with those of others. We would talk about an egocentric attitude.

On the other hand, it is worth noting that This type of personality is a potential conflict generator.. One’s own insecurity is expressed through the search for prominence, regardless of the consequences. At the same time, these people tend to be very sensitive to criticism, frustration appearing when a goal is not achieved.

How is this theme presented in cinema?

This theme is interesting because of the possibilities it offers when it comes to scripting interesting situations or characters. Let’s see, therefore, some movies in which narcissistic personality disorder appears:

The movie Vanilla Sky, by Cameron Crowe, has a dark and unique plot. David suffers from a clear self-esteem disorder loaded with narcissism. In reality, he does not accept the conditions that others set for him and does not tolerate positioning himself personally below people. Another example is American Psycho, by Mary Harron. The story features Patrick Bateman, a psychopathic narcissist who is positioned in the social elite. Continuously seek physical and personal perfectionfilling his inner emptiness through a false external appearance, which leads him to commit crimes without remorse.The practitioner is another of the films that has recently had great recognition on Netflix. The director, Carles Torras, shows the living image of a narcissist named Ángel who, after suffering a serious accident, is left in a wheelchair and subjects his ex-girlfriend to hell by becoming a compulsive attention seeker and satisfy your emotional needs.

Narcissism according to Woody Allen

One of the directors who puts the most care into the psychological construction of the characters is Woody Allen. Tackle narcissism with a picaresque twist, mixing drama and comedy. This is reflected in the movie Midnight in Pariswhere egocentrism and arrogance are present.

However, he comes to contemplate love from a narcissistic point of view, where romanticism is idealized within a hedonistic and amorous city, such as Paris. Sarcasm and the ability to experience strong emotions are present. For this reason, it can be said that psychology and cinema are closely related.

Characters with narcissistic personality disorder

Some arguments focus on simple aspects of narcissistic behavior, but They are usually relevant characters who occupy these roles, whether they are protagonists or secondary. Some examples are found in fiction films, such as Tony Stark from the film Hombre de Hierro or Jonah Jameson in Spiderman.

The need to be admired is something that is present in narcissistic people., as Otto Friedemann Kernberg explains. Sometimes, they demand that attention or other times it comes to them naturally, as can be seen in titles like The wolf of Wall Street.

Definitely, This disorder has become a reference for numerous screenwriters and directors.who turn to psychology as a source of inspiration to create their productions.