Narcissism in Film and on TV

Paul Raymond, multi billionaire.

http://youtu.be/JtdYdT17Vuk

The ultimate classic for Coverts.

http://youtu.be/eJJvjGKhscA

Vivien Leigh ~ Fragile Narcissist

http://youtu.be/1Kni7-uIFOo

I watched the 1945 Dorian Gray today. I didn't feel good after watching. I noticed a lot of tie-ins:

- Projecting his evil onto an object (his portrait);
- Causing the woman he loved to shame herself;
- Painting her black and discarding her as an object;
- (Trigger warning:) Having little emotion when she took her life as a result;
- His secret world (the room at the top of the stairs. I have had a recurring nightmare all my life of something at the top of the stairs where nobody is).

It can be watched online for free here.

For those who don't want to watch the entire movie, the following contiguous scenes depicted my mind very well:

- @40:00 after debasing his lover he notices his portrait has a look of cruelty. He decides to let the portrait hold his evil (and he would be all good). He will "hoover" his debased girlfriend to make it up to her.
- @44:00 his friend (a bad influence, he encouraged Dorian to debase her) comes to inform Dorian she took her life. The cruel look of the painting becomes real to Dorian and he has it moved to his secret room at the top of the stairs (and decides to fire the servants who moved it because they know too much just by having entered the room. I.e., extreme need to keep the inner world hidden.).
- @48:25 a friend (a good-influence) arrives. Dorian puts on a noticeably glib, insensitive, defiant front, insisting "I grieved the day before."

I could relate to that sadistic treatment of others, the valuation/devaluation, the effect it could have had on others (the way push/pull occurs, and I could be very cruel not recognizing the other's emotions). And, particularly the "faking it." Over-compensating masks to appear unphased, or that I am properly affected. What must have appeared to others as "inappropriate affect."

One thing that stands out to me after watching the entirety of the movie is how NOBODY'S life was improved through contact with Dorian. His dark song (The Prelude) was imparted to the low-life piano player at the pub he frequented (to feel above others by comparison, "big fish/little pond"). His song dominated his lover's "Goodbye Little Yellow Bird" song in the same way he humiliated her. He also murdered his best friend. His hired servants were frequently terminated so he could maintain his privacy and mysteriousness. The theme through the entire movie (after he is set in motion by his bad-influence friend) is objectification of everyone.

He extorted a friend to dispose of the body of his good-influence friend. That friend takes his own life too. Dorian says to himself "there are easier ways to forget." (As if blaming the victim for overreacting.).

I could relate to that very easily. With as little conscience as I had (or have) it was easy for me to revise my inner narrative, rationalize things. Some mirrors bend inward to make things look smaller. Some bend outward to make things bigger. My mind is full of mirrors and I can adjust the significance/relevance of what they reflect. (That's the Confabulation.).

Hannibal. Seasons 1 & 2 were great. I can't wait to see Season 3.

http://youtu.be/SQ43CcdhifY

MeAgain's DVD recommendation: I, Claudius.

http://youtu.be/JucnjEInfOk

I saw Return To Peyton Place (1961) last night. One of the main characters is Roberta Carter (Mary Astor). She will remind you a lot of Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People. Very controlling and manipulative of her son.

At the end of the movie she has a psychotic episode like Norma Desmond at the end of Sunset Blvd. She tries to manipulate the termination of the school principle for personal reasons. She loses in a public way. Like Norma Desmond, she goes full-narrative and denies everything that it means, acting like she won (everyone's wrong, she' right).

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell....

BBC short series

TTL.... i was reading Oscar Wilde before moving house, have to locate the book, was into the start of Dorian Grey. His other stories were more about the narcissm and selfishness in society so won't watch the movie.

Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face. The Icon of Codependents.

http://youtu.be/9FXW2S_KU4o

The Krays

http://youtu.be/w1KzMgRiBnc

Young Winston

http://youtu.be/A_MvnRkMRj0