Posted by Jan den Breejen on December 18, 2000 at 00:46:58:
Jan's movie reviews - Gorillas in the mist (1988)
In a land of beauty, wonder and danger, she would follow a dream, fall in love and risk her life to save the mountain gorillas from extinction.
At the far ends of the earth she found a reason to live, and a cause to fight for.
Sigourney Weaver stars as Dian Fossey, in this true story about Fossey's study of gorillas, and her efforts to stop the decimation of the endangered apes
+++ Jan's analysis
Remember Al Gore's slogan 'I will fight for you'? Dian fights too, she crusades against commercial activities and to make an ideal into reality. We can see some characteristics of the Conscientious Style in this role:
- They seldom display emotions. When emotions are displayed, anger is the most common. Anger is acceptable to them if it is justified; righteous indignation is therefor admired.
- They tend to be rigid in both manner and appearance.
- They have difficulty working with others.
- They are overly disciplined.
- They are highly non-adaptive.
- They are dependable and reliable (at least towards the gorilla's).
- They hold themselves/others up to impossibly high expectations, and they feel shame when they fall short.
- They tend to socially isolate-isolation is their favorite defense mechanism.
- They tend to lack a sense of humor, taking everything seriously.
- They tend to be unwilling or unable to compromise.
- They tend to alienate people. (which caused Dian being murdered)
In the movie we can see the defense mechanism of reaction formation. Dian suppresses her natural sexual urges and attacks those in her employees. We can see her loving and kissing the photo of the male gorilla….
Classification: Conscientious Style (with Serious Style high too)The movie reminded me of Mosquito Coast movie with Harrison Ford; who also went into the jungle to do his 'idealistic' thing and went mad.
Jan