Watching The Film "Scarface" With A Psychologist - Reviews, Self-development

How is pride different from pride? And what if you caught yourself in pride? We are watching the film "Scarface" together with the psychologist Irina Solovieva and sort it out

• "Face with a scar". USA, 1983
• Director: Brian De Palma
• Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer

The film "Scarface" has long and firmly entered the golden collection of cinema. This story is based on real events, the prototype of the main character is the famous American gangster Al Capone.

Born into a simple poor family, he became the king of the underworld and one of the most famous gangsters in history, his name even became a household name. But from the top, he fell down: he ended up in prison and, returning after imprisonment, was never able to regain power. And soon he died, lonely, disappointed and sick.

"The world is yours" - what does the main character's motto say?

Scarface was a remake of an old film from the 1930s and surpassed it in success. This was facilitated by the talented work of the director, actors, composer, and the entire film crew.

The protagonist Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is a Cuban refugee who works in a diner. He dreams of money, beautiful women and cars, and when he is offered a small part-time job in the field of crime, he agrees

Having shown extraordinary abilities, Tony gradually becomes the head of a whole criminal syndicate and a millionaire.

In this he is helped by the strength of personality, intelligence, strategic planning, the ability to understand people and - adherence to principles. “I only have my word and my balls,” says Tony. Thanks exclusively to his own merits, he acquires authority and reputation.

Montana marries the woman he has dreamed of for a long time (Michelle Pfeiffer), lives in a luxurious mansion, and handles millions. Once he saw the words "Peace is yours" on the airship, he makes them his motto, they are written on a sculptural fountain in his huge house.

But is Tony happy? No. Alcohol and drugs, the eternal struggle with competitors, quarrels with his wife and best friend, the mother's refusal to continue communicating with the criminal son and accept "dirty money" from him … All this drags the film hero into a dark pit, and leads to a fall in figuratively, and literally.

After a quarrel, the former "business partner" organizes an attack on Tony's house, he courageously defends himself, but they shoot him in the back, and he falls from the top floor right into the very fountain with the inscription "The world is yours."

So what led to the fall of Tony Montana - external circumstances or his own mistakes? And what exactly became that fatal mistake?

Pride is the strongest temptation

Al Pacino's character evokes a controversial response from the viewer. Undoubtedly he is a criminal, a murderer, a drug dealer. On the other hand, a strong, principled person, not devoid of nobility. He tries to act justly and not to overstep certain boundaries: at first he is convinced that a competitor has betrayed him and tried to kill him, and only then he kills him. Refuses to set up an explosion that could hurt children. Marries for love and remains faithful to his wife, despite family problems. Protects his family. Keeps his word, even if it may cost him his life. Engaged in charity work.

It is this combination of pros and cons that makes the character feel realistic and empathic. He is not demonized by his creators or idealized; is not shown to be an absolute villain, but also is not turned into a noble Robin Hood. The realism of the character helps the viewer identify with him. And, like any of us, Tony is tormented by inner doubts and contradictions. Temptations. And the strongest of them is pride.

Pride is a very human temptation, archetypal and therefore understandable to every person

The plot of the construction of the Tower of Babel tells just about human pride, and similar myths or fairy tales exist among various nations.

The fairy tale of A. S. Pushkin, familiar to us from childhood, about a goldfish, in fact, is just about pride and its consequences. Whoever wants to climb to the very top will be at the bottom. The proud man will fall, and the more pride, the more crushing this fall

So Tony Montana, having climbed to the top, fell - this metaphorically shows his flight from the height of the building down into the pool.

How is pride different from pride?

Both pride and pride are based on narcissism, only the forms of narcissism are different. Every person has a basic narcissism as a representation of their "goodness" or "badness." It is laid in early childhood, up to three years, as a result of the attitude towards the child from his environment.

What options for the formation of narcissism are possible?

Option 1. If the child was loved and accepted, while not over-praised, if they pointed out mistakes, but did not humiliate or reject, then in this case “healthy narcissism” is laid.

In adulthood, such a person shows pride as self-esteem. He knows his pros and cons, is proud of his achievements, and admits mistakes. Has healthy self-esteem and sets a realistic bar for himself.

Option 2. A child who was overwhelmed in childhood will form "hypertrophied narcissism", that is, an overestimated self-esteem and a sense of self-worth. This is already "pride" - in adulthood, he will manifest a desire for superiority, domination, recognition; constant competition and trying to be the best. The same “Humiliate, dominate and rule”.

The parents of such a baby are ambitious, they use it as a "narcissistic extension" - for self-affirmation. They boast of his achievements (often imaginary or exaggerated) in order to feel their own significance.

As a child, he is the center of the family and the king; and in adulthood he will be disappointed, because the world does not seek to meet his expectations. And then he has a choice: either to grow up and gain healthy self-esteem, realistic expectations from the world; or stay in childish egocentrism and be angry with the world for its "cruelty" and "indifference".

Option 3. And it so happens that the baby is criticized, scolded, devalued at an early age. Parents can rip off their bad mood on it or use it as a pawn in their own games: for example, a mother takes out her anger at the father on the child, or the father mocks the child to hurt the mother. In this case, low self-esteem, "wounded narcissism" is laid.

Wounded narcissism in adulthood can manifest itself in two ways. A person shows himself to be notorious, insecure, vulnerable and sensitive to criticism. But in some cases, there is overcompensation, and he tries to prove to everyone that in fact he is "wow!"

He brags about his achievements and shows pride, but behind this is not self-confidence, but, on the contrary, an inner wound.

It is “wounded narcissism” that prompts the hero of the movie “Scarface” to constantly act. We see his mother as a strict, religious and critical woman, dissatisfied with her son.

Plus Tony's social status is added: a poor expatriate in luxurious Miami. Social powerlessness and humiliation hurt narcissism and can provoke criminal activity - revolt against society and revenge.

As someone with a wounded narcissism, Tony Montana goes down the path of overcompensation and that is the path of pride.

Pride sets an unrealistic bar, and then disappointment and failure are inevitable. It will never be possible to be “the best”, the proud man will be disappointed, symbolic downfall. This is exactly what happens to the hero of the film "Scarface"

What if you caught yourself in pride?

• Try to outline its boundaries: what kind of pride is this? What achievement is important to you?
• What's really behind your pride? To whom and what are you trying to prove? Whose confession to get?
• Give yourself your own recognition and love. Tell yourself that you can respect yourself anyway. Give yourself the right to make mistakes.
• Check to see if your interest in this achievement continues?
• Reframe the goals you set for yourself to be realistic.