Metaphysical and parapsychological contextual framework in Charlie Kaufman’s scripts

Anastasiya Cherkasyuk

Level 5

Unit: Contemporary Culture

3135

23.02.2017

Abstract

The essay researches the awareness of identity in scripts of the writer and director Charlie Kaufman. The project is to investigate how the writer uses temporal shifts and character crisis to explore the contemporary environment within the film. Metaphysical and parapsychological framework in films such as Being John Malkovich (1999) and Anomalisa (2015) will be discussed. The essay will cover both Kaufman’s work as a scriptwriter and a director. The anticipated outcome is to comprehend the development of the characters in his scripts throughout chosen films and reveal aesthetics of surreal cinematography within them.

Table of Contents

Table of figures 3

Introduction 5

Literature review 6

Chapter 1: Character who is escaping surrounding. 7

Chapter 2: How narrative serves the character to escape. 9

Chapter 3: Aesthetics and techniques of a surreal storytelling 11

Conclusion 14

Table of figures

Figure 1 8

Figure 2, Personal drawing 9

Figure 3, Scene from Anomalisa 10

Figure 4, Scene from Being John Malkovich 11

Figure 5 Scene from Dark Passage vs Being John Malkovich 12

Figure 6 Scene from Anomalisa 13

Figure 7 Scene from Anomalisa 13

Introduction

This essay is about how the main characters in Charlie Kaufman's scripts feel underrated by the society within the film and attempt to escape the unbearable weight of the real world. However, they don’t run off on a getaway but rather escape into the parallel reality-inside their own head. Throughout the film emotionally vulnerable and subconsciously egocentric they are looking for happiness and frequently find it where they started looking for it. There is always depth of an internal struggle and sadness which defines their profiles. The men who are missing something from their lives and procrastinating because they can’t find meaning behind their actions. Not only is the writer using a parapsychological incident which changes their action arch but he also introduces an alternative reality where heroes can fulfil their dreams.  

Looking at Kaufman’s first written film Being John Malkovich and his last work Anomalisa we are able to review a sophisticated structure of the films. It is also possible to track similarities in between two and see how the structure of Kaufman’s scripts has evolved from the earliest to the latest work. The essay will cover the question of self-confidence and notion of self. Experimental philosophy is a new wave which combines both philosophy and psychology to analyse human brain and behaviour. It will help examine the idea of identity in chosen films and describe how it connects to a metaphysical reality within them. As well as this, we will see how our perception of the character changes while the “parallel world” appears in the script.

Aesthetics of a surreal cinematography and the style through which the metamorphosis is communicated is important to look at as it has a strong influence on audiences’ perception of the story. Due to the unique and distinctive visual approach of portraying the internal change and environmental travel of the character, the methods will be significantly emphasised in this essay.

Literature review

In examination of identity crisis, the essay will refer to Eric H. Erikson book “Identity and the life Cycle” (1980). The writer is focusing on the ego psychology and emphasises the importance of the role of culture and society and the conflicts that can take place within the ego itself. It will help me expand on where the conflict of the character has occurred and how it has influenced their actions.

Metaphysical context and experimental philosophy theories are taken from manifesto “Experimental Philosophy and the notion of the self” (2008) by Josh Knobe and Shaun Nichols.

The technical and stylistic approach of the films will suggest that the information was taken from the book “New Cinematographers” by Alexander Ballinger (2011), where cinematographer Lance Acord describes the process of making Being John Malkovich and explains the reasoning behind visuals.

As well as this, I will include the information about Charlie Kaufman’s way of storytelling from the book “Puzzle Films: Complex storytelling in contemporary films” by W. Buckland (2009).

Additional findings in “Studying surrealist and fantasy cinema” by N. Coombs (2008) also suggest theories about the deconstruction and narrative conventions which could be found surreal and are connected to the idea of the metaphysics and parapsychology in the film.