Characters on the Couch
Film & Television Blog
by Dr. Sandra Cohen
CONCLAVE: The Why’s of Secrets & Breaking Free
Why do people keep secrets? Mostly, shame, terror, fear of being found out, or a desire for power and control. Edgar Berger’s Conclave shows a struggle with secrets, past and present. There are the Cardinals’ secrets and the Church’s widespread cover-ups. Lawrence, the Dean, is tasked with managing the Conclave, where the next Pope is…
CABARET
How Quickly Freedom Disappears
It’s frightening how quickly freedoms can disappear. The question is: Why is it sometimes hard to see the complicated forces, in the outside world and living inside us, that want to deceive us if we aren’t aware. What blinds us can make us vulnerable. Cabaret is a powerful and disturbing illustration, plus a startling reminder,…
PERFECT DAYS: When “Now is Now” Isn’t as Simple as It Seems
Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho) cleans toilets in Wim Wenders 2023 film, Perfect Days. He cleans with perfect attentiveness and precision. Hirayama cares about what he does. He cares with the peacefulness of a man who seems happy in his very routine days. I say “seems” because living in the “now” as Hirayama has perfected, isn’t always…
