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Characters On The Couch

How a psychologist thinks about your favorite Film & TV characters.

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the power of the dog

The Power of the Dog Why Phil Burbank’s Cruelty is About What He Hates in Himself

THE POWER OF THE DOG
Why Phil Burbank’s Cruelty
Is About What He Hates in Himself

December 7, 2021 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Jane Campion’s chilling new film, The Power of the Dog, has much to say about that old adage: what we hate in others is what we can’t accept in ourselves. And, wow, does the character of Phil Burbank spell that axiom out in spades. Sure, he embodies everything there is about toxic masculinity. Yet, what …

Read moreTHE POWER OF THE DOG
Why Phil Burbank’s Cruelty
Is About What He Hates in Himself

Inspiration

“We come to Film and TV to find our hidden stories. If we look deeply into a character’s psyche, there is much to see about ourselves.”

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