Mr. Wright's Fusion Research (Example #2)

Movies and the Mind: Theories of the Great Psychoanalysts Applied to Film

By William Indick
Published by McFarland, 2004
excerpt from chapter two:
http://books.google.com/books?id=kU8B-6Bvb94C&printsec=frontcover#PPA16,M1

This book psychoanalyzes the imagery and symbolism found in popular Hollywood films. In chapter two the author psychoanalyzes Dorthy's dream in The Wizard of Oz.


"As the audience watches the film, they identify with the hero and experience her story as if they were seeing their own personas in their own personal dreams. In Dorothy’s dream, the persona must encounter the different archetypes of the self in order to “integrate”the parts of her personality that are unbalanced. For Dorothy, a parentless child who feels powerless in her isolated environment, every part of her
psyche other than her persona lacks expression and balance" (p 20-21).

The Wizard: Represents the Father Archetype.
"The Wizard is clearly a representation of the wise old man archetype,
the worldly, strong and powerful father figure that is so clearly absent in
Dorothy’s life. The Wizard is the father figure that Dorothy so desperately
needs. When mean old Miss Gulch takes away Toto, the first person
Dorothy runs to is her uncle. Instinctually, she feels that this surrogate
father figure will defend her, fight for her, take care of her and make every-
thing all right. But Dorothy’s uncle is a weak and ineffectual old man. He
does nothing. On one level, the Wizard represents Dorothy’s wish for a
big strong Daddy who will be there for her and solve all of her problems.
On a deeper level, the Wizard represents the strong and courageous parts
of her Self that Dorothy needs to get in touch with. Dorothy integrates her
own inner strength by projecting it into the external archetype of the wise
old man, and making her encounter with this archetype the central theme
of her dream" (p 21).

Wizard as the Trickster Archetype:
"Professor Marvel is a trickster, a charlatan who despite his con-man tactics has some deep insights into Dorothy’s psyche. When Professor Marvel is transfiguredinto the Wizard at the end, we see the same wisdom masqueraded under the same veil of trickery and chicanery. The parallel function of the trickster and wise old man archetypes reflects their parallel symbolism as representations of the father figure" (p 23).

"Aside from being a trickster, Professor Marvel is also a shapeshifter, a character who fluidly changes his physical form throughout the film. He shifts shape from Professor Marvel to the Emerald City doorman to a cabbie to the Wizard’s guard to the Wizard of Oz and then finally back to Professor Marvel again" (p 24).

Glinda: Represents the mother archetype that guides and mentors Dorthy.
"At each encounter, the mother archetype is loving and caring, but she is also a good mentor in that she doesn’t overcome Dorothy’s obstacles for her" (p 21).

Wicked Witch of the West: Represents the unexpressed hatred she has for Mrs. Gulch (the woman who tried to take away her dog, Toto). "the Witch represents not only her repressed negative feelings for Miss Gulch, but also her repressed negative feelings about her actual mother, who—like her father—is also conspicuously absent from Dorothy’s life" (p 22).

Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion: Represent Dorthy's need to integrate three stereotypically masculine traits into her personality.
"She must get in touch with her inner masculine powers of intellect, heart (emotional strength) and courage in order to develop a more balanced sense of self" (p 22).

Mr. Wright's Fusion Research (Example #1)

A scene from the 1985 film Return to Oz shows Dorthy being prepped to receive electroshock therapy.

In the mid 1980's Walter Murch directed the film Return to Oz. The film explores what happened to Dorthy in Kansas after returning from the land of Oz. The film opens six months after the tornado and her aunt and uncle are concerned that Dorthy still believes in her delusional stories about her adventures with a scarecrow, tin man, and a cowardly lion. To solve the problem Aunt Em takes Dorthy to a mental hospital for electroshock treatments.
Return To Oz Directed by Walter Murch
1985 by Walt Disney Company

In an interview on the NPR show Studio 360 Murch stated that the ending of the original film had always bothered him. He stated "...from a psychological point of view that is kind of a ticking time bomb. What would happen to you if you had this huge experience and didn't have anyone to tell it to?"

It was from this premise that he created his film Return to Oz.


Listen to the director Walter Murch discuss the premise of his film, Return to Oz:



OPENING SCENE FROM THE 1985 FILM RETURN TO OZ

 

Great Big Paintings

Activity #1: Literary Analysis of an installation piece

This activity required students to use their knowledge of the literary tools of characterization, symbol, diction, imagery, plot, theme, symbol, and archetype to complete analytical notes on the overall significance of a work featured in the AMHS art installation. Students used the eight steps below to complete notes for this activity.

Reading a work of art in eight steps.

Complete notes in response to each of the following eight areas:

1. QUICK SKETCH: Sketch and label the main elements in this work of art.

2. DICTION: Record the denotative and connotative meanings of the primary words in the title.

3. CHARACTERIZATION: Explain what is revealed through an analysis of the elements of indirect characterization.

4. IMAGERY: Is the painting dominated by warm or cool colors? Describe the location of the dark and light areas. Overall do the colors and light establish a positive or negative tone?

5. SYMBOLISM: What is the symbolic meaning of three individual elements in the work? How do these three symbols work together to establish an overall meaning of the work?

6. TONE: Review your responses for #2-5 and describe what you believe to be the artist's attitude towards the subject of this painting. Explain how two elements from the work help establish this tone.

7. PLOT: At what point on the plot line does the scene depicted in this work fall? Explain how specific elements in the work helped you determine your answer.

8. THEME: State the central, underlying, and controlling idea of this work

Project Fusion Gallery

In the fall of 2008 six original works of art created by Charleston artist, Fletcher Crossman, will be installed on the walls and in the halls at the Academic Magnet High School. Below are images of these six works.

Politico fusion

Politico + Wizard of Oz = Curtain pulled back