Psychological Analysis Ep. 2: Edward Nygma

*Note: This is NOT a professional diagnosis and is NOT meant to reflect on sufferers of mental illness.

   
     Many people in our world and in cinema turn out to be geniuses. The problem is that the world sometimes doesn't recognize the intelligence of these people. And sometimes...the world faces the consequences. In film we encounter highly intelligent characters that are not recognized for their genius and as a result, they become unstable and resolve to make those who underestimated them see their brilliance. This episode of psychological analysis explores the mind and behavior of Edward Nygma, as portrayed by Jim Carry in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever. Spoilers Ahead

      Once upon a time, one of Batman's well known villians, Two-Face, was on a crime spree through Gotham City, with Batman at his heels. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has been running Wayne Enterprises as usual when one of his employees presents his invention. Edward Nygma, an odd computer genius, has created a device that "beams any TV signal directly into the human brain. By stimulating the neurons, manipulating brainwaves if you will, this device makes the viewer feel like they're actually inside the show." Unfortunately for Nygma, Wayne declines his invention because manipulating brainwaves "just raises too many questions." After testing the device on his boss, (against his will), Edward discovers that he can use the device to absorb information from one person's brain into his own and become smarter. Now Nygma is out to beat Bruce Wayne, and in so doing becomes the Riddler. While Bruce Wayne falls in love with psychiatrist Dr. Chase Meridian, the Riddler and Two-Face form an alliance. With the help of an unexpected sidekick, will Batman be able to break the Riddler's grip on the minds of Gotham and stop Two-Face? 

       Edward Nygma's condition is ego syntonic, as he does not see any error in his mentality. Nygma's instability starts with his expectations on certain things. When Bruce Wayne rejects his project Nygma says to himself, "you were supposed to understand." Before Wayne meets Nygma we are shown upfront that he is already a great admirer of Mr. Wayne. He more than hopes, but rather expects, that Wayne will be impressed with him. While his invention is impressive, Nygma does not take rejection well at all. This could suggest a superiority complex, the delusion that one is better than others.

       During the film, Edward Nygma, as the Riddler, starts sending Bruce When strange riddles. Wayne doesn't know who they're from, so he seeks the advice of Dr. Chase Meridian. Judging from the riddles, Dr. Meridian concludes that "the patient may suffer from obsession... with potential homicidal tendencies." This rings true with Nygma as he is the one that is sending the riddles. He once held Bruce Wayne as his idol, and after testing his device on his boss, Nygma murders him. There is more to him than a mere superiority complex. By the end of Batman Forever, Nygma has taken in so much of other people's minds, including Bruce Wayne's, that he becomes delusional and is committed to Arkham Asylum. Before hand though, his personality and behavior in general tends to be wild and a little demented, introducing the idea that Nygma has a personality disorder. 
         
        If Edward Nygma does have a personality disorder, it is likely to be from cluster B of personality disorders. This cluster includes antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic. Observing the behavior patterns of Nygma, we know that he certainly doesn't lack self-worth or a sense of self, which are characteristics of borderline and histrionic personality disorder. His ego is overinflated, but is not enough so to portray an air of narcissism. Overall, Nygma's general resistance to social norms, his ignorance of other's feelings, and his odd behavior and homicide, point more to a possible diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. 

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Patient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-forever

Patient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-foreverPatient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-forever

Patient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-forever

Patient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-foreverPatient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-forever

       


     

Everything You Need to be Happy: Wall-E

     In today's world, more and more awareness is being raised about pollution and waste. More and more gadgets and devices are being made to do things for us. Needless to say, the 1st world lifestyle of the human race is concerning and sometimes sad. Numerous films have been made that depict dystopian societies, which often come to be after man's corrupt and harmful ways lead to their destruction. Not much of this is seen as far as Disney goes. But in 2008, Disney-Pixar presented Wall-E. 

    Once upon a time, a small and curious robot named Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class) was the last of his kind on Earth. For the last 700 years, Wall-E has been doing what the humans made him for: Clearing garbage off the earth's surface. The earth has been abandoned, as life has not been sustainable due to pollution and built up waste. One day, a ship from space arrives, and leaves a robot called Eve (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator). As seen from her name, Eve is one of the robots periodically sent to earth to find plant life, proof that life is once again sustainable. As Eve searches for life, Wall-E falls in love. Eventually, Wall-E finds a plant growing inside of a dirt-filled boot. Upon seeing it, Eve takes the plant into a chamber in her body and shuts down while sending out a signal. A ship returns to pick up Eve, and Wall-E stows away.  
       In outer space they arrive onboard the Axium, a colossal sized space cruise liner. Here, Wall-E encounters things he has never seen before, including a wide variety of robots, and humans. These humans live on hover chairs, are hardly mobile, and due to micro-gravity, have experienced some bone loss in their bodies. From here Eve and Wall-E embark on an adventure to present the plant, battle a rebellious autopilot, and convince the humans to return to earth. Can Eve and Wall-E be together? Will earth be recolonized, or will it be left a lifeless wasteland? 
 
       Artificial intelligence has been a fascinating subject for a long time, and is also depicted in many films. More often than not, artificial intelligence is considered dangerous. Robots could rebel violently, and complications could arise if they were to fall in love and have complex human feelings and ideas. In Wall-E however, the robots appears to be their own minority group in society, as if they were also human. When comparing Wall-E and Eve to our human characters, they seem more sincere and thoughtful. This makes their ability to think and feel all the more intriguing. This type of thought provocation is seldom seen in children and Disney movies. 

 
  Wall-E and the Axium were created by the same company: BnL, or Buy N Large. This company advertises itself as "Buy N Large, everything you need to be happy." The humans aboard the Axium live lives of pleasure and entertainment. They have never known work or physical exertion. Robots wait on their every need. Wall-E's future depiction of humanity is the sad extreme of how 1st world societies live today. Almost every human works for money. No one stops to think about what money is for: Gaining access to fine housing or materialistic and frivolous things of pleasure, as well as being able to live in comfort. 
      When the captain of the Axium sees Eve's memory footage of earth, he's nearly horrified at the state of the planet. He decides right then and there that the time has come to return home. During the end credit of the movie, we see the humans walking and with the help of the robots, planting crops, restoring old buildings, and just enjoying the beauty of nature that is growing around them everyday. We can only assume that they, as well as Wall-E and Eve, are happier than they ever were in space, or alone on an abandoned planet. 

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The Wonders of Animation: Fantasia

    When you're watching a Disney movie, you're not really concerned about the music. You might be familiar with interpretations of music, such as dance. When Disney animators heard pieces of music such as Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Pines of Rome, and even Rhapsody in Blue, what did they do? They made animated shorts for them!

     Once upon a time, (in 1940,) Disney released what they had called, "The Concert Feature." But Leopold Stokowski, the musical conductor who had worked with Walt Disney on the project, suggested the name "Fantasia," and thus it was named. The film contained multiple animated shorts that had been made to interpret a certain piece. Fantasia was intended to be a constant continuation. "Every time you went to see it, you'd experience some new pieces, along with some old familiar favorites." As you can see, that didn't really happen until 1999, when Fantasia 2000 was released. Like the previous Fantasia, this film features musical, animated segments.  You watch both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000, and it's unlike any other Disney creation. Sure, there's a notable difference between the two because of the time periods when they were made, but they both encourage the same idea: Letting the imagination run wild!

     Fantasia is not only entertaining but educational. Most children are not familiar with famous pieces of music such as Rhapsody in Blues and Pines of Rome. Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 are the reason that I myself am able to recognize such music. That's when I heard them for the first time. Through these movies children can get to know classical music from a young age. They also have fun because they now have characters and stories to put with the music such as Mickey Mouse and the Steadfast Tin Soldier. 

       Keep in mind that the animations did not come instantly upon listening to the music. Even Disney artists have to try multiple ideas. Before finding The Steadfast Tin Soldier's match with Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, different ideas were on the drawing board. Some of them included a bug ballet, a baby ballet, and a segment from Shwanda the Bagpiper. Even Salvador Dali's artwork was considered. So it has been with every Disney film. The stories come together when the film makers explore ideas. That is how any story, whether filmed or written, comes to be: By exploring the imagination.

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You are a Block of Wood: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporiun

    "I don't know why grown ups don't believe what they did when they were kids. I mean, aren't they supposed to be smarter?" The innocent thought provoking words of 9-year-old Eric Applebaum, who happens to be the narrator of the film Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. This is a story that teaches that anyone can, and should, believe in themselves. Spoilers ahead.

    Once upon a time, a young, talented pianist named Molly Mahoney, was working on her first concerto. She is also working as the manager and apprentice of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a magical toy store owned by the magical but eccentic, 243-year-old, avid shoe-wearing, Mr. Magorium. Also working at the emporium is a somewhat lonely boy named Eric, and the recently hired Henry Weston, an accountant (or as our other characters call him, "the mutant"), who doesn't believe in magic. 
       In recent days, Mahoney has become unsure of herself, struggling to find the right notes for her concerto. It is at this time that Mr. Magorium reveals to Mahoney that the emporium is being left to her in his will, and that he is going to die soon. However, Mahoney doesn't think she can run the store because she doesn't have the same magic Mr. Magorium has. After he dies, Mahoney must now choose whether to sell or keep the store. With the help of a block of wood and an accountant, will Molly Mahoney be able to find the magic that has always been in her, or will she choose to sell Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium?

       Henry Weston and Mahoney are in similar positions. They are both faced with a choice: For Henry, whether or not to believe in the magic of the store, and for Mahoney, whether or not to believe in herself. They both however, try to get coaxed out of their comfort zones by the same person: Eric. After Mr. Magorium passes, Eric knows that Mahoney can run the store. She doesn't think so, and says that "I cannot be a kid anymore." Eric simply responds with, "that's why Mr. Magorium gave you the store." As Eric becomes friends with Henry, he gets Henry to loosen up and do things such as play pretend. It is Eric that asks Henry to convince Mahoney that she should keep the store, even though he doesn't quite believe in it himself. 
       In a way, Mahoney and Henry challenge each other. Henry seems to embody Mahoney's self doubt in her ability to run the emporium, as he thinks that "there's no such thing a magical toy store." At the same time, Mahoney is able to remind herself of what she truly believes when she testifies of the store's magic to Henry, never showing any doubt. 

      Before Mr. Magorium reveals his plan to Mahoney, he gives her what he calls, "the congreve cube." To Mahoney and the audience, it looks like a simple block of wood. "Unlikely adventures," says Mr. Magorium, "require unlikely tools." Until Mahoney has to make her decision to sell the store, the congreve cube hasn't done anything. Only until Mahoney tries to explain to Henry Weston that it's magical, it starts to move and fly around the store, causing Henry to faint in disbelief. When Henry wakes up the next morning, the cube is nowhere to be found and Mahoney has no memory of it. But now Henry believes in the store and realizes that, as he tells Mahoney, "you are a block of wood." Throughout the movie, Mahoney believed in the cube. But in truth, Mr. Magorium gave it to her to teach her that she can do amazing things if she believes in herself the same way she believes in the block of wood. Now that Mahoney's belief in the cube has made it fly, she no longer remembers it and only needs to believe in herself. 

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