The Unconscious as Cinematographic Form: A Psychoanalytic Reading of Inception

Deniz Çelik^1*   & Tugba Elmaci^{2  
1}Research Scholar, Media and Cultural Studies (Interdisciplinary) Programme, The Faculty of Communication, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, PA 17020: Turkey. Corresponding Author.
²Associate Professor, the Chair of the Department of Radio, Cinema and Television, The Faculty of Communication, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale, PA 17020, Turkey.

^{Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 16, Issue 1, 2024. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v16n1.04g
[Article History: Received: 14 January 2024. Revised: 11 February 2024. Accepted: 24 February 2024. Published: 06 March 2024]
Full-Text PDF Issue Access}

Abstract

Freud’s “unconscious,” a lauded seminal psychological contribution, has transitioned into an efficacious narrative device in cinema, evolving into a paradigmatic relationship. This article scrutinizes Inception (2010), a quintessential psychoanalytical film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It explicates the director’s linkage to psychoanalysis and reveals how he demystifies the unconscious through its utilization both as a cinematic form and thematic device, manifested in discernible dream layers. It is ascertained that these layers perform a bifunctional role as cinematic and narrative elements. Intriguingly, this multifaceted structure extends to character development as well, exploiting the complexities of the characters’ pathologies. Since the filmic structure leverages the pathologies exhibited by the characters, they constitute secondary data for the analysis. The pathologies are aligned with the mental disorder classifications the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR^TM) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Pertinent character data are analysed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings, subsequently subjected to psychoanalytic film analysis, enrich a deeper understanding and fuller appreciation of the representation of the unconscious in the cinematic domain.

Keywords: Christopher Nolan, Inception, Psychoanalysis, Unconscious, Film Criticism.

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Citation: Çelik, D. & Elmaci, T. (2024). The Unconscious as Cinematographic Form: A Psychoanalytic Reading of Inception. Rupkatha Journal 16:1. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v16n1.04g