Visconti is Obsessed with Freud's Concepts

In the film, many of the characters' actions and dialogue can be described and explained using Freud's ideas and theories. If the plot and setting of the story is thought of as a civilization, the story's events can be predicted and greater understood using Freud's concepts. With a thorough understanding of Eros, aggression, and other concepts of Freud's the viewer gains deeper insight to the characters' peculiarities as Visconti envisioned them, while also taking into account Visconti's sexuality and character traits to recognize how it was portrayed through his film and how it affected the film overall. Because nearly all of Freud's concepts are interrelated, super-ego, internal desire, happiness and some biblical references also need mentioning to complement his major concepts.

Freud says that for the advancement of civilization communities must develop relationships of aim-inhibited love to strengthen the communal bond, but libidinal love is always in the unconscious. This is the case in the film, although Gino and Giovanna skip aim-inhibited all together. Their love takes a step towards the evolution of civilization as they begin to start a new family, but because of the aggression instinct, it is also the impediment of furthering civilization. Because love can be thought of as the result of the pursuit of happiness, it helps to begin with happiness as a foundation for understanding Freud's ideas in the film. Giovanna's happiness is a major drive in the film.

In the beginning of the film we discover that Giovanna has settled with Bragana not because of love, but because of how he had first appeared in front of her as a stable spouse with an income to match. Freud perfectly describes this situation that, "Civilized man has exchanged a portion of his possibilities of happiness for a portion of security," and "that in the primal family only the head of it enjoyed this instinctual freedom; the rest lived in slavish suppression" (Civilization. . . , p. 73). While in the kitchen, Giovanna explains to Gino how she ended up with the 'potbelly'. As she complains about how she's not a cook and hates being a dishwasher, Gino hooks her by saying she's a lady and how her treatment should reflect that.

When Bragana comes in and insists Giovanna massage his shoulders we see that he is the head of the relationship and is the sole receiver of enjoyment. When he wants to kiss her she squirms and resists making excuses that their behavior is impolite in front of company. In addition to taking care of the dishes and food at the restaurant Giovanna also has the responsibility of maintaining the entire establishment. Giovanna's frustration and unhappiness is what leads her to become disloyal to her husband with a man she just met. Giovanna's neurosis is the result of her inability to cope with the frustration society imposes on her so we infer that by removing the frustrations there will be room for happiness (Civilization. . . p. 39). By removing Bragana from her life, she can possibly begin living a happy life with Gino.

Instead of Bragana being a source of sexual satisfaction and happiness for Giovanna he is a man that provides her with shelter. In the film Bragana hardly experiences unhappiness because he has sublimates his libido to his work. By doing this, he receives a satisfaction which Freud says cannot be greatly affected by fate; although, it's intensity is meek when compared to 'primal instinctual impulses' and does not completely protect it from suffering, such as his death (Civilization. . ., pp. 29-30).

Freud tells us that, "An unrestricted satisfaction of every need presents itself as the most enticing method of conducting one's life, but it means putting enjoyment before caution, and soon brings its own punishment" (Civilization. . .pp. 26-27). The quote can be thought of as the moral of the story. Giovanna's affair with Gino is the unrestricted satisfaction and Gino's eventual incarceration is the punishment brought upon him as a result of the lack of caution taken during the execution of the murder.

Freud notes that it is always easy to bring people together with love, provided there are people to receive the consequences of their aggression (Civilization. . ., p. 72). This aggressiveness is the death instinct that works alongside Eros and shows itself later. As Gino and Giovanna's love grows, so does their aggressive instinct, and according to Freud the aggression will be diverted outward toward someone or something as sadism is a component of sexuality; sexuality obviously being Giovanna's affair with Gino and sadism being the death of Bragana. Freud also explains that, "any restriction of this aggressiveness directed outwards would be bound to increase the self-destruction" (Civilization. . ., p. 78). When Gino and Giovanna first try to leave town and begin a new life without killing Bragana would be the restriction of the self-destruction, and the increase of it would be when they do actually murder him.

After Gino and Giovanna murder Bragana, she develops a feeling of guilt and displeasure. Since the 'avoidance of unpleasure' leads to happiness they find methods of regaining their former satisfaction. After the murder the couple drink increasingly more as the story progresses. This method of intoxication affects them so that they are unable to receive non-pleasurable impulses. In the scene where the priest visits at the restaurant, Gino is sitting at a table drunk and he tells Giovanna that he doesn't have anything else to do.

After the murder, we notice the pairs' guilty consciences taking effect. These guilty consciences can be explained by the activities of the ego and the increased aggression of their love. After the murder some of their aggression is internalized. When this aggression is directed inwards it develops a conscience and the harshness of the energy they would like to direct outward is taken over by the super-ego. Their sense of guilt stems from the tension between their super-egos and egos. Gino's first feelings of guilt are observed after the murder when he presses the idea of leaving the city onto Giovanna. Gino is reminded of Bragana and the murder as he lives in the house. Freud explains that there is an outside force that decides what is right or wrong (Civilization. . ., p. 85). In the film, the outside force would be the police. Freud also notes that the person becomes dependent on others and fears a loss of love. While losing this love the person also loses protections from danger. The person also fears that his dependent will 'show its superiority in the form of punishment' (Civilization. . ., p.85). In the film Gino fears that because he cheated on Giovanna she might rat him out to the police. Gino then experiences more feelings of guilt because of his disloyalty to Giovanna.

Despite his brief appearances, there are many Freudian concepts that apply to Lo Spagnolo. When Gino is spending time with Lo Spagnolo, and he is making homosexual implications Gino heavily considers his offers. Sometimes a man experiences thoughts and feelings that are not normally part of his ego, and sometimes he attributes these feelings to external influences, when in fact it is within his own ego (Civilization. . ., p. 13). The viewer infers that Gino subconsciously possesses these homosexual desires and they are actually part of his id, it just takes Lo Spagnolo to activate them in a way. Because Lo Spagnolo is a wanderer it seems he is in search of happiness, similar to the other characters. When he meets Gino he appears satisfied, and this satisfaction is confirmed as Lo Spagnolo later returns to Gino, and desperately tries to coax Gino into joining him on a journey through Europe. Lo Spagnolo appears to adopt the commandment 'Love thy neighbor as thyself' as he and Gino develop a strong friendship.

Their friendship is another advancement in civilization as an aim-inhibited love to strengthen the communal bond in society. In the hotel room scene, though, we discover that Lo Spagnolo desires a libidinal relationship with Gino. This is inferred from his lingering gaze on Gino's shoulders and body as Lo Spagnolo checks him out for a few seconds. Although Gino and Lo Spagnolo do not develop a full libidinal relationship, the aggressive instinct is present alongside their friendship. As Lo Spagnolo berates Gino by the shore Gino releases his aggression by punching Lo Spagnolo in the face. Lo Spagnolo comments that Gino's courage has grown since their last visit and he realizes that along with his courage, Gino's free spirit and slight sexual curiosity has diminished, which sends Lo Spagnolo on his way. Gino immediately regrets his harsh reaction and fears the loss of Lo Spagnolo's friendship, resulting in feelings of guilt, as he feels responsible for the loss of a good friend.

Upon close observation, many of Freud's concepts can be found in Luchino Visconti's film "Ossessione". From a thorough understanding of the ideas expressed in "Civilization and its Discontents" and other works by Freud, the viewer is able to receive greater insight to the characters' traits and reasons for their actions. While Giovanna has roundest character of the cast, Freud's ideas are applicable to all the characters, and despite Lo Spagnolo's small role in the film, many of Freud's concepts applied to him as well. Knowing that the director was homosexual, the reader can infer that Lo Spanglo's interactions with the society and era that the film took place was a reflection of the Visconti's personal feelings at the time. Amongst the Freudian ideas observed in the film, Eros, aggression, and happiness are the most prevalent, while id, super ego, and some biblical references are also present.

After thinking similar to Freud, we gain a deeper understanding of the characters' actions and feelings and how they relate to the advancement of civilization. Once they have fallen for each other they begin a journey that should result in the betterment of civilization, when in the end the death instinct takes over and reverses Gino and Giovanna's progress, while Gino becomes suppressed under a superior power.

Works Cited:

Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1961. 10-112.

Ossessione. Dir. Luchino Visconti. Perf. Clara Calamai, Massimo Girotti, Elio Marcuzzo, and Juan de Landa. DVD. Industrie Cinematografiche Italiane, 1943.