Family structure and dynamics in DePalma's horror films

Area of Science:

• Film Studies
• Psychoanalytic Theory
• Family Dynamics

Background:

• Brian DePalma's horror films explore complex familial relationships.
• A recurring theme involves the nuclear family structure and its disintegration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze unconscious fantasy formations within the nuclear family in DePalma's horror films.
• To examine the psychological impact on young adults within these dysfunctional family structures.

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of five major Brian DePalma horror films.
• Application of psychoanalytic concepts to interpret familial dynamics and character development.

Main Results:

• Films depict single-parent, only-child families destroyed by unresolved grief over an absent parent.
• Young adults experience psychological trauma due to fused symbiotic relationships and societal inadequacies.
• DePalma's work reflects a bleak societal view, paralleling family authority issues.

Conclusions:

• Inadequate mourning and societal roles lead to the psychic devastation of young adults.
• The struggle for identity and separation from the family results in its destruction.
• DePalma's films highlight the destructive consequences of unresolved familial trauma.