Best movies to learn power dynamics
- The Goodfellas
Many mafia movies are great for both collaborative frames, and covert power moves. Albeit mafia is often compared with brutality, much of the communication is often indirect and barbs and verbal attacks delivered in indirect and covert format.
Also good to understand the violent loose cannon types like Tommy. Those are the guys you should be careful for in escalations in bars and night situations, as they are the guys who can pull a gun or knife without caring for the consequences.
And, finally, also great to understand the importance of saving people's face.
Organizations like mafia are all about keeping your reputation, and saving people's face is what can make the difference between keeping a friend, or a murderous escalation.
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Goodfellas is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, particularly in the gangster genre. In 2000, it was deemed "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress. Its content and style have been emulated in numerous other films and television series.[4]
I'll be watching it soon!
Raised by Wolves: very interesting relating to the power dynamics between Mother and Father. Also the power dynamics among the Mithraics. Great all-around sci-fi series. It has it all: philosophy, politics, technology, survival, ethics. First two episodes directed by Ridley Scott.
I was thinking about rewatching that video the other day, but first I want to see the movies again
you know wich one have some good scenes of intellectual dominance? the Hannibal Lecter Saga.
The silence of the lambs for example, Anthony Hopkins did not won an oscar in vain
Even behind the bars (glass cell in this case) he is the dominant one...
Vikings
Liefling The Movie
(Netflix only)
Painting the Archetypes of Lovers/Providers, relationship power struggles etc.
Hello Forum,
In looking through the Power University Modules and this thread I see there is a proclivity to use movies as field studies in order to understand power dynamics. Since Meet The Parents is not on any Streaming Services (shame!) such as Netflix, Stan, etc. I thought I would place another good movie I’ve seen the other day, to help the understanding of power dynamics for beginners. Be warned- it is a musical too! 😉
Liefling: So why should you critically analyse Liefling for your power education? Well it’s extremely obvious to see what’s going on, from a dating and power perspective. The character’s level of power (plus whether the purveyor of power is warm/cold in their dealings) remains consistent throughout the film,
Characters:
Watch the movie with this open in the background because it will help you remember faces to names:
Jan: Lover boy. Very charming and physically able
Liefling: First time in love (with Jan). Has a strong father figure… Oupa
Melanie: Mother Hen, Alpha Female. What does that mean? Basically she tries to have a tryst with Jan even though he likes Liefling and is her boyfriend. What’s Melanie's strategy then? Use the power of her nest/alliance with other girls, to: distract Liefling, isolate Jan and confess her feelings to Jan in a bid to force him to get with her… or leave her! (all serendipitously of course ;)) What happens next? You’ll have to see… 😉 (it’s after the 1hr mark)
Katryn: Melanie’s mom, has a very distracted and unavailable husband, she is a cougar who therefore gets with pool boys
Kobus: Low Power, Warm provider. A mix between Nice Beta Provider and The Person nobody cares About. At the start of the film: He tries 100% to breach his social anxiety and confess his feelings for Hot Girl Melanie. Near the end of the film, Kobus ends up with Melanie only after she tries in vain to get with sought-after lover boy Jan. Why do you think this response from Melanie happens? Leave your response below.
Thinus: High Power, Low Warmth. Doesn’t believe two people can love each other. However in a quick tryst Liefling kisses him- and… then the conversation falls flat. He is very cold, doesn’t even address the awkwardness
The Parents of Jan and Liefling also have a very interesting dynamic, they are both single and have a thing for each other,
Liefling’s dad (Oupa) is a High Warmth Provider, the amicable King
and Elsa, the traditionalist/conservative Chastising Mother Figure. (Say that ten times fast :D)
Summary: Watch Liefling for a couple laughs, good songs and a gripping power structure.
These are awesome:
Rick & Morty
- Length/Duration: 4 seasons, 20min/episode, 10-11 episodes per season.
- Impression: It' so good I'm watching it a second time.
- Who is it for: if you like sci-fi, this is your dope.
- Power dynamics at play: Rick, the all-smart, almighty scientist is über-dominant. Smart-Alecing all the way! Many different cases of power dynamics.
- Takeaway: expands your perception of reality, without taking any substance.
Mandalorian
- Length/Duration: 2 seasons, 40-60min episodes, 8 episodes per season
- Impression: Better than Star Wars. Yes, I'm being serious. Western-like.
- Who is it for: if you like Star Wars.
- Power dynamics at play: the invulnerable Mandalorian, dominant stance, alignment: chaotic-neutral-lawful good according to the situation. Says only what needs to be said. Stays a major asset even when not in leadership position. Loves baby Yoda.
- Takeaway: You will wish to speak like him.
A Beloved Wife
I rarely see movies these days as I tend to consider them at high risk of wasted time.
The good movies you can learn from are rare, after all.
But this time I was on a long haul flight and my Kindle was running out of batteries, so I picked a Japanese movie and started watching it -added bonus for focusing on body language to understand the dynamics when you don't understand the language-.
STORY
It's the story between a wife who holds the household together, and a largely ineffective man suffering from the "too nice guy / doormat syndrome".
She is the one doing the cooking and earning, and she is more assertive, more effective at life.
And she is unhappy with a man who does not match her and who acts too passive and too supplicating.
She ends up acting mean, aggressive, and even abusive towards him.
He mostly takes the abuse while he promises to change, bring home more money, and hopes to have sex with her.
The few times he reacts to abuse, he reacts angry and mean of his own, but it ends up in an escalation where neither of them is able to understand, explain, or demand the changes that would truly fix the dynamics.
Then he goes back to passive and supplicating, and she goes back to mean and aggressive.
MESSAGE: Doormat Syndrome Naturally Invites Abuse in Relationships
It was a light movie, a mix between comedy and drama.
But the power dynamics were very real, and very well depicted.
And the message is that when you don't enforce your boundaries you make people grow mean.
I've seen it happen in real life.
The doormat syndrome makes people grow angry because they demand more assertiveness and more honesty -rather than passive aggression or hidden plots to achieve what they don't have the courage to go for-.
And because people grow disgusted and angry at the doormat.
Getting angry and raising one's voice is almost a way of saying "you're acting useless, shape up, show me you're capable of acting like a real (wo)man".
Not only I've seen it happen in real life, but I've seen it happening to myself as well when I once dated an overly passive and meek woman.
I'd grow angry at the over-passivity, at letting others take advantage of her, and at her trying to achieve things with me without asking and speaking directly. And then I'd feel a bit bad -and bad about myself- for having gotten angry.
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