Black Film Through a Psychodynamic Lens delves into the nuanced character development and narrative themes within the struggles and successes presented in Black films over the last five decades.
In this pioneering book, Katherine Marshall Woods looks at Black cinema from a psychological and psychoanalytic perspective. Focusing on a decade at a time, she charts the development of representation and creative output from the 1980s to the present day. She deftly moves from analysing depictions of poverty and triumphs to highlighting the importance of cinema in shaping cultural identity while considering racial prejudice and discrimination. Adopting theoretical viewpoints from Freud to bell hooks, Marshall Woods examines the damaging effect on cultural psychology as a result of stereotypical racial tropes, and expertly demonstrates the healing that can be found when one sees oneself represented in an honest light in popular art.
From Do The Right Thing, The Color Purple and Malcolm X to contemporary classics like 12 Years a Slave, Black Panther and American Fiction, this book is an essential read for those interested in the intersection between Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Film Theory and African American cultural identity.
INTRODUCTION 1. EASE ON DOWN THE ROAD? 2. LIVING BLACK (1980-1989) 3. DEATH AND REBIRTH TO EVOLUTION (1990-1999) 4. DREAMS COME TRUE (2000-2009) 5. UNCHAINED…. FREEDOM (2010-2019) 6. AWAITING WITH BAITED BREATH (2020-AND BEYOND) FINAL THOUGHTS
Biography
Katherine Marshall Woods is a clinical and media psychologist based in Washington DC and assistant professor at the George Washington University, USA.
“In Black Film Through a Psychological Lens, Dr. Marshall Woods offers a powerful explanatory framework for films from the early 20th century until today, moving from discussion of painful stereotypes especially prevalent in early films, to depictions of narratives of resilience, posttraumatic growth, creativity, and empowerment reflecting the broad range of Black Lives today. The author ably utilizes an insightful culturally nuanced and modern psychodynamic analytic framework, particularly with regard to how defense mechanisms such as sublimation and reaction formation serve to illuminate how and why filmmakers create the films they do, and how and why viewers respond in they ways they do. Marshal Woods is to be commended for providing insights into both the better known, as well as into some less familiar, Black films from the early years through the first quarter of the 21st century.”
Grant J. Rich, PhD, President Society for Media Psychology and Technology, Walden University
"Dr. Katherine Marshall Wood's 'Black Film Through a Psychodynamic Lens’ is a seminal work that meticulously dissects the psychological motifs embedded within Black cinema alongside pertinent psychological research, highlighting the complexities of race, identity, and culture in film.
Through insightful chapter divisions, each dedicated to a specific era of filmmaking, Dr. Marshall-Wood adeptly synthesizes the synopses of pivotal films with insightful analyses of the profound psychological themes relevant to the Black community.
"This book is vital in fostering inclusivity within film anthology, highlighting the underappreciated significance of Black cinema, its psychological influence and its indispensable role in shaping broader cinematic discourse on American life."
A compelling must-read for scholars, practitioners, and film enthusiasts alike."Dr. Tamika Damond, Founder of Believe Psychology Film Festival
