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The movie 'Drive' [2011] as a metaphor for our psychological drives

posted 9 years ago by ballsOfMeat
9 replies | jump to latest

I wrote an analysis of The movie 'Drive' [2011] as a metaphor for our psychological drives.

"The title of the movie can also be read to mean psychological drive. Drive as “an aroused state of psychological tension that typically arises from a need.” Psychological Drive has in its cross-hairs an object of desire (food, love, sex, an ideal, comfort etc). We are driven towards our objects of desire. "

i talk about how the driver, "has dreams of being a movie star, and this is his fantasy, but because of his quiet awkward demeanour and his lack of charisma, he couldn’t make it as an actor, so he remains in the background as a stunt car driver for movie productions....and with his failed Hollywood aspirations to play a hero in a movie, gets to live out his fantasies as a hero in real life by also working as a getaway driver."

I also write about the significance of Bernie telling the driver that he used to produce movies.

You can read the entire essay here on Philosophy NSFW - http://philosophynsfw.blogspot.co.za/2016/03/the-movie-drive-2011-as-metaphor-for.html?utm_source=BP_recent

Let me know what you think.

[–] bdmbox 9 years ago

I honestly wasn't expecting much but that was phenomenal. I agree with all the major points, and you brought much deeper meaning to scenes I completely overlooked, like the stunt, and even with the music--which is where I knew you were onto something. All of it sounds absolutely spot on, and was in line with anything I had already made a conscious note of.

One question I do have is why you're so sure his plan is to go back with Irene, given his good-bye phone call? There was also the scene with her coming to terms with him being gone. And the elevator scene seemed like a proper send-off, given the moment with the kiss and the shot of the elevator closing on her. I figured with the quote about him looking over his shoulder, we we're practically outright told his life is now a constant drive.

[–] ballsOfMeat 9 years ago

WOW, great view. sorry for the late reply. I had to watch the movie again.

about that "goodbye" phone call to Irene--

1st if you told a girl that you loved her, after only seeing her for a couple of encounters, she'd think you're weird, you don't know her all that much, and most very much importantly, she may tell you that you're projecting. it happens, you meet someone, you talk only a few times and you love them deeply, i.e. you project all types of stuff and fantasies on them.

That "goodbye" phonecall to Irene, it was an over-the-top moment for me. Fantasy. Him saying that the little time he spent with Irene and Benicio was "the best thing that ever happened" to him was weird, over the top. it would have sounded okay if he had slept with her, but alas they never even slept together, but he tells her that those few moments where the greatest in his life. He projected all kinds stuff on her.

And most importantly we never hear Irene's voice or take, that's where there's a danger of projecting fantasies on someone, when they say little; and after all of that she may say, "you don't know me that well." Can you say that the Driver knows Irene well? Just from the movie? Or is someone or both of them are projecting?

And importantly during that "goodbye" call, Irene's image is projected on the side window as the Driver drives to Bernie. The image of Irene is Projected on the window. watch that scene again. here is the image of that scene. the dude is projecting! -> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChixrIhWwAAPYDX.jpg:large

I don't think it was a goodbye call...more of he's just saying he is uncertain he'll make it, but if the little time he spent with Irene and Benecio are the greatest moments of his life, in my humble opinion there's no way he is not driving to Irene in that final scene. Bernie was the last dangerous person who knew about the money, with him dead, I don't see him driving anywhere else but towards Irene. towards the object of his desire. With Bernie dead, no one else knows he was involved with the heist, excerpt Irene. I can't think of any reason why he wouldn't want her then, given that he's had the greatest moment of his life with her. I don't think he's driving to beach. Drive pushes us towards and after the object of our desires. Irene.

[–] bdmbox 9 years ago

Very interesting! Especially that shot, that's a very intriguing interpretation. My memory is a bit fuzzy on the particulars, so I'm definitely going to rewatch this and keep this perspective in mind.

[–] ballsOfMeat 9 years ago

Cool,

I'll probably watch it again myself.
Anyway, all this stuff is just my opinion from a Psychoanalysis point of view.

[–] kolchak-thenightstalker 9 years ago

I just finished watching the movie and I disagree. She shared the same feelings for him. He was her and her son's savoir in a manner of speaking. When their car wouldn't start he gave them a ride or was able to get it working until she could get it to the very shop that he works at. If she didn't have deep feelings already for him, why go to that shop of all shops? also you can hear it when her and the driver are talking in the hallway after her husband is back from prison. the way they looked at each other, they longed for each other. you can see it in each of their faces. She didn't have to say anything it was written clear as day on her face that she wanted to be with the driver and was kind of bummed her husband is back. also when she and the driver went for a ride together she put her hand on top of his which was on the stick shift of the automobile he was driving. that's a big signal right there!

as far as his call telling her that she was the best thing that ever happened to him, i think she would be so touched by that, because they didn't have sex. i think it would not have been thought as weird because she would think here is a guy who is truly moved by me as a person and not as a sex object. also the fact he is so accepted by her son clinches it. if a woman's child really likes and, most importantly, feels safe with a male adult that the child's mother spends time with, well, that definitely will make any mom feel head over heels.

i find it so interesting how people think that only if a man has sex with a woman, only then it would be understandable for a man to say to the woman they had sex with, that that woman was the best thing to ever happen to them. i think that even if they had sex, and she wasn't really that into him but just wanted sex from him, that she could still find it weird that he is professing his love for her. she would be thinking we only had sex and he doesn't really know me. how many times have we heard the tales of a guy having a one night stand and the girl is already professing her love to him and he feels that it is really weird and clingy?

it could go either way really, whether they have sex or not, it all depends on how deeply she feels. she might think, if she is as enamored with him as he is with her, how sweet he is that she touched his heart and he didn't even have sex with her.

I don't know if i am right but that was how i saw things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_BbtXj2P4g

[–] ballsOfMeat 9 years ago

Cool. I appreciate your reply. I think i should mention again that this was a psychoanalysis opinion only of the movie as its presented. Someone could write an analysis of the movie from a Marxist or another philosophical point of view, which would be interesting to read. Its merely an OPINION from a psychoanalysis point of view.

About your critique, of course they desired each other. I NEVER said the feeling were onesided. I never said that anywhere. I may have leaned heavily on the male character, and its only because he's the main character. In my essay, i wrote that she desires a hero, and that hero showed up as Gosling. The desire each other. That's what i said in my write up. ?Now, here I said Gosling was projecting all types of stuff on her, yes again, i did understate her position, but i did hint by saying, 'maybe they are projecting on each other'

my point was the relationship happens between two projections.

Gosling and that girl didn't know each other all that well. they spoke very little. they spent very little time together.Yes, they desired each other. I never said they didn't. These are two different things--in a relationship, especially a new one, the relationship is not between two 'real' people. because they don't know each other's 'real' selves, yet. its a relationship between two people who hold 'idealized' images of each other. i.e. they don't know each other that well, only projections of each other. but they desire each other. I hope this is as simple as i try to put it across.

Sex is important.i never said it was weird for gosling to say those moments were the greatest ONLY because of sex, but because they didn't know each other, and they didn't spend much time together, AND they didn't pass through the gate of HIGHEST form of intimacy, which is sex. They didn't have sex. this matters.

I can't honestly say, plainly from the movie that they knew each other. at all. yes, they desired each other. Which was the point of my essay, when i said that a Drive is about going towards what we desire. Your drive towards success, pushes you towards a goal. They desired each other.

[–] friendlyboy312 8 years ago

The film is definitely about drive.

Today is the day to say I love you to your best friend - chinese proverb

[–] DabacTSP 8 years ago

😂

Cool movie music http://audiosparx.com/MartinaSver

[–] NutMustardx 8 years ago

Didn't read the essay yet but I don't see where you got that he wanted to be a movie star. He is a driver and seemed content to drive stunts. He did hate that he needed to do criminal acts to make ends meet on the side, but his buddy Walt from breaking bad, set him up with the race car aND was trying to make him some cash. He had things working, he met the girls, loved her and wanted her safe.