The Film "Temptation" - Two Scenarios Of Relationships - Relationships, Reviews

2023 Author: Oswald Adamson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 12:13

The film "The Temptation" is interesting not only because Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie starred in it, but also because of its psychological content. The viewer sees how the best and the worst traits can appear in one person, depending on who he is dealing with

• USA, France, 2001
• Director: Michael Christopher
• Starring: Antonio Banderas, Angelina Jolie

Such a different relationship

The film begins in Cuba. Successful businessman Luis (Antonio Banderas) wants to marry an American: "Here people live in the past, and in America - in the future." He corresponds with Julia (Angelina Jolie) and invites her to his place, falls in love and marries.

Louis' behavior is impeccable: handsome, intelligent, noble, he surrounds his wife with care and love. It would seem that she behaves like an ideal spouse, but gradually her second nature appears - cruel and insidious. As a result, it turns out that the real Julia was killed on the ship and Bonnie, an adventurer, who took her place, went ashore to the groom. Bonnie escapes, robbing Louis, he starts looking for her and finds her.

Julia / Bonnie is torn between two men. Louis loves her and forgives everything. For her sake, he is ready for anything. But an accomplice and lover named Billy does not leave her alone, inclines her to new crimes, and then even to the murder of Louis.

Interestingly, Louis calls the girl Julia, and Billy calls him Bonnie. She behaves differently with them, it seems that these are really two women, but in fact - one. Nor is any of these names real.

While simultaneously in love with both, Julia / Bonnie builds a completely different relationship with them. With Louis it's love, care and respect, with Billy it's an unhealthy addictive relationship. There are two erotic scenes in the film, with each of the men. And they are built in contrast: tenderness and passion in the episode with Louis and sadomasochism in the episode with Billy. Each of the men evokes a different side of Julia / Bonnie.

On the dark side

Have you noticed that you want to behave differently with different people?

Most likely, yes, and in many respects it depends on the resonance that occurs between you: which aspects of your personality are activated and realized in contact with your partner.

Perhaps there is someone in your environment with whom your worst traits appear. For example, you catch yourself gossiping and slandering, you become angry, cruel.

Or you start breaking the rules and even betray your own system of values, which you later regret. This means that in this contact the Shadow is activated - everything worse, forbidden, suppressed and repressed.

There are people who awaken the worst in others. This "shadow contact" is for Bonnie the villain Billy. He treats her terribly, but she likes it. Moreover, in a relationship with him, she herself becomes deceitful and cruel.

How can you awaken the "shadow" side in another person?

Sometimes - by example. This is how a bully friend inclines a boy from a good family to commit a crime.

It happens that, on the contrary, the worst side in others is awakened by the one whose own Shadow is suppressed.

For example, there is a scenario of Victim - victim behavior. Even in childhood, the victim was forbidden to show aggression and defend himself; in her "shadow side" there was a lot of suppressed aggression. And the Victim unconsciously provokes others to hurt her. The suppressed aggression of the Victim resonates with others and activates their own anger

There is also the scenario of "Beauty and the Beast": For contrast, Beauty needs a Beast by her side so that she herself remains a Beauty. People of this type are not ready to admit any shadow feelings in themselves: "I never envy anyone!", "I am so kind to everyone!" They have a narcissistic false self, an idealized image of themselves, which they try to maintain at all costs. And then they have to project their own feelings onto others: “I am never angry with anyone, because I am kind. Everyone around is so angry!"

What happens to others in such situations?

The effect of projective identification can occur: a projection is thrown on you, and you begin to behave in accordance with it. The Beauty throws the projection of the Beast on those around her, and someone really begins to correspond to her and behave like the Beast.

How do you recognize the Beauty and the Beast scenario?

If someone you know is playing the game “my partner / friend / relative is bad, but I communicate with him because I’m good,” this is a sure sign of a Beauty who needs a Beast.

Reset masks

There may be other types of people in your environment. They seem "good", extremely positive, but this is only a superficial mask, according to which a person lives.

Their relationships are shallow, their behavior is insincere and determined by rules that allow them to maintain a positive self-image. In their presence, those around them cease to be sincere and begin to give out the expected pattern of behavior, fearing evaluation.

And with those who force us to be forever in a mask, and with those who support only our worst qualities, it is difficult to remain ourselves and understand who we really are

So the heroine of "Temptation" rushes between two men, losing herself. Only at the end of the film does she find herself and true love: when Luis proves that he loves her real, and not the mask of the ideal Julia. During these games, he managed to see a real woman, love her and accept.