We are presenting today another article by Italian analyst Paola Palmiotto. In her review of the movie by Gabriele Salvatores entitled „I am not scared”, she is touching upon the basic issue of deep psychological work and analysis: the meeting with the Shadow. In this apparently uncomplicated review, Paola is using the fragments of the screenplay plot to beautifully illustrate and remind us of the significance of this fundamental confrontation we do on the way of individuation. For the large part this way is about development and maintenance of the dynamic relationship with that area of psyche which is hidden. In a most general sense, we might equate the Shadow with the Unconscious. And it is largely to the credit of C.G. Jung that we recognize the value of it – positive value of it. In the best tradition of Jungian movie analysis Paola is showing how different images and characters of the story can be seen as parts of the internal world of the psyche. And she does that in a very interesting form, the juxtaposition of images from the movie with fragments of the text in which she exemplifies the key points of her review.
From the article:
„In all of us there is a part of our personality that is hidden, in a shadow. And if we don’t listen to it and don’t nourish it, it becomes increasingly hungry.”
it can be frightening to discover that in this darkness, there is something alive, some-things that we didn’t expect, something that we do not know. Then Michael does something stunning, even if he is scared, he comes back. He returns to try to understand …
… And the other, of which he knows nothing of, asks for water. When we devote attention to our parts in shadow, it is very important to begin to listen to them, and give them a drink, symbolically, meaning listening to their needs.
Paola Palmiotto
Paola Palmiotto is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and Jungian analyst. She works with dreams, drawings and sand, which can help us access to a language of images. She has a private practice in Mantua.
She is a professor at the graduate school in analytical psychotherapy Aion in Bologna and teaches „Psychological Types in the visual arts”. She wrote a book “The pre-patriarchy in Sumerian mythology – a symbolic reading according to analytical psychology” – 2009, Persiani publisher.
Read more at Paola Palmiotto’s website
Tags: culture, imagery, Movie analysis, Paola Palmiotto, shadow
