Neurosis may have disappeared from psychiatry, but in cinema, it thrives. This course explores how film portrays anxious, obsessive, and self-sabotaging characters grappling with repression and existential doubt. Through Freud’s psychoanalytic lens, we’ll explore some of cinema’s most fascinating neurotics.
Mary Wild is a film lecturer and podcaster with an academic background in psychoanalytic theory. Her research interests in...
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Neurosis has long been a subject of fascination in psychoanalysis, literature, and cinema. First coined by Scottish physician William Cullen in 1769, the term originally described nervous disorders with no clear physiological cause. It was later redefined and popularised by Sigmund Freud, who placed neurosis at the heart of psychoanalytic theory, linking it to unresolved trauma, repression, and unconscious conflict. Freud believed that when painful experiences cannot be fully processed, they manifest through symptoms such as anxiety, perfectionism, compulsive behaviour, low self-worth, phobias, and obsessive thoughts. Though neurosis was removed from formal psychiatric classifications in 1980, its psychological and cultural relevance endures—particularly in cinema, where film provides a powerful medium for exploring inner turmoil. This course examines how neurosis is represented on screen, analysing characters who struggle with anxiety, emotional rigidity, and a resistance to change. From overthinkers and self-saboteurs to commitment-phobes and existential wanderers, we will explore how these inhibited figures reflect deeper psychoanalytic themes. Drawing on Freud’s theories and key cinematic examples, we will investigate how filmmakers use narrative, visual style, and performance to depict neurotic states of mind. Through engaging discussions and close film analysis, this course will provide insight into the complex psychology of neurotic characters and their ongoing preoccupations.
What will we cover?
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Blake Edwards Harold and Maude (1971) Hal Ashby Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Woody Allen Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Mike Newell Les Amours Imaginaires (2010) Xavier Dolan Adaptation (2002) Spike Jonze Into the Wild (2007) Sean Penn Synecdoche, New York (2008) Charlie Kaufman The Duke of Burgundy (2014) Peter Strickland
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Understand the relationship between psychoanalysis, TV, and cinema
Learn film interpretation techniques to approach moving image in a deep and investigative way
Discover the work of film directors that represent psychoanalytic themes and motifs
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is open to all levels; there are no pre-requisites to register. Interest in film is desirable.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Psychological terms will be taught in an inclusive, accessible and engaging way with the help of bespoke PowerPoint slides and video montages. Group discussion will be encouraged, and there will be no assignments outside of class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
There are no additional costs beyond the enrolment fee. Material for taking notes will suffice during sessions. Scenes will be shown during the course; students are not required to obtain them.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Please look also for other Film Studies courses under History Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Mary Wild is a film lecturer with an academic background in psychoanalytic theory. Her research interests include cinematic representation of identity, the unconscious, mental illness and auteur studies (e.g., Andrei Tarkovsky, Lars von Trier, and Fritz Lang). In addition to teaching at City Lit, Mary is a regular speaker at the Freud Museum and Hackney Picturehouse.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/neurosis-on-film2629668Neurosis on Filmhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/masters-of-cinema-celine-sciamma-hf397-1080.jpg6969GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Film studies/Introductory & general/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Film studies/Courses/New courses228511771548158017431228511771580<p>Neurosis may have disappeared from psychiatry, but in cinema, it thrives. This course explores how film portrays anxious, obsessive, and self-sabotaging characters grappling with repression and existential doubt. Through Freud’s psychoanalytic lens, we’ll explore some of cinema’s most fascinating neurotics.</p><p>Mary Wild is a film lecturer and podcaster with an academic background in psychoanalytic theory. Her research interests include cinematic representation of the unconscious, surrealism, mental illness, feminine subjectivity, the horror genre, and auteur studies.</p>002629431Neurosis on Film6969https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/masters-of-cinema-celine-sciamma-hf397-1080.jpgInStockDaytimeSatKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2026-07-04T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allJul 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHF0866969Neurosis on Film554569Mary Wildneurosis-on-film/hf086-2526<p>Neurosis may have disappeared from psychiatry, but in cinema, it thrives. This course explores how film portrays anxious, obsessive, and self-sabotaging characters grappling with repression and existential doubt. Through Freud’s psychoanalytic lens, we’ll explore some of cinema’s most fascinating neurotics.</p><p>Mary Wild is a film lecturer and podcaster with an academic background in psychoanalytic theory. Her research interests include cinematic representation of the unconscious, surrealism, mental illness, feminine subjectivity, the horror genre, and auteur studies.</p>0000-Available|2026-07-04 00:00:00<p>Neurosis has long been a subject of fascination in psychoanalysis, literature, and cinema. First coined by Scottish physician William Cullen in 1769, the term originally described nervous disorders with no clear physiological cause. It was later redefined and popularised by Sigmund Freud, who placed neurosis at the heart of psychoanalytic theory, linking it to unresolved trauma, repression, and unconscious conflict. Freud believed that when painful experiences cannot be fully processed, they manifest through symptoms such as anxiety, perfectionism, compulsive behaviour, low self-worth, phobias, and obsessive thoughts. Though neurosis was removed from formal psychiatric classifications in 1980, its psychological and cultural relevance endures—particularly in cinema, where film provides a powerful medium for exploring inner turmoil. This course examines how neurosis is represented on screen, analysing characters who struggle with anxiety, emotional rigidity, and a resistance to change. From overthinkers and self-saboteurs to commitment-phobes and existential wanderers, we will explore how these inhibited figures reflect deeper psychoanalytic themes. Drawing on Freud’s theories and key cinematic examples, we will investigate how filmmakers use narrative, visual style, and performance to depict neurotic states of mind. Through engaging discussions and close film analysis, this course will provide insight into the complex psychology of neurotic characters and their ongoing preoccupations.</p><p>Neurosis may have disappeared from psychiatry, but in cinema, it thrives. This course explores how film portrays anxious, obsessive, and self-sabotaging characters grappling with repression and existential doubt. Through Freud’s psychoanalytic lens, we’ll explore some of cinema’s most fascinating neurotics.</p><p>Mary Wild is a film lecturer and podcaster with an academic background in psychoanalytic theory. Her research interests include cinematic representation of the unconscious, surrealism, mental illness, feminine subjectivity, the horror genre, and auteur studies.</p><p>Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Blake Edwards<br/>Harold and Maude (1971) Hal Ashby<br/>Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Woody Allen<br/>Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Mike Newell<br/>Les Amours Imaginaires (2010) Xavier Dolan<br/>Adaptation (2002) Spike Jonze<br/>Into the Wild (2007) Sean Penn<br/>Synecdoche, New York (2008) Charlie Kaufman<br/>The Duke of Burgundy (2014) Peter Strickland</p><ul><li start;="">Understand the relationship between psychoanalysis, TV, and cinema</li><li>Learn film interpretation techniques to approach moving image in a deep and investigative way</li><li>Discover the work of film directors that represent psychoanalytic themes and motifs</li></ul><p>This course is open to all levels; there are no pre-requisites to register. Interest in film is desirable.</p><p>Psychological terms will be taught in an inclusive, accessible and engaging way with the help of bespoke PowerPoint slides and video montages. Group discussion will be encouraged, and there will be no assignments outside of class.</p><p>There are no additional costs beyond the enrolment fee. Material for taking notes will suffice during sessions. Scenes will be shown during the course; students are not required to obtain them.</p><p>Please look also for other Film Studies courses under History Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>Film studiesIntroductory & generalvirtual556945HF086NONESat04/07/2610:30 - 16:3010:3016:301 session1One-off onlyDaytimeWeekendKSKeeley StreetMary WildBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-07-04T00:00:00+00:00Jul 2026Culture, history & humanities6969Neurosis on Filmneurosis-on-film/hf086-2526<p>Neurosis may have disappeared from psychiatry, but in cinema, it thrives. This course explores how film portrays anxious, obsessive, and self-sabotaging characters grappling with repression and existential doubt. Through Freud’s psychoanalytic lens, we’ll explore some of cinema’s most fascinating neurotics.</p><p>Mary Wild is a film lecturer and podcaster with an academic background in psychoanalytic theory. Her research interests include cinematic representation of the unconscious, surrealism, mental illness, feminine subjectivity, the horror genre, and auteur studies.</p>0000-Available|2026-07-04 00:00:00<p>Neurosis has long been a subject of fascination in psychoanalysis, literature, and cinema. First coined by Scottish physician William Cullen in 1769, the term originally described nervous disorders with no clear physiological cause. It was later redefined and popularised by Sigmund Freud, who placed neurosis at the heart of psychoanalytic theory, linking it to unresolved trauma, repression, and unconscious conflict. Freud believed that when painful experiences cannot be fully processed, they manifest through symptoms such as anxiety, perfectionism, compulsive behaviour, low self-worth, phobias, and obsessive thoughts. Though neurosis was removed from formal psychiatric classifications in 1980, its psychological and cultural relevance endures—particularly in cinema, where film provides a powerful medium for exploring inner turmoil. This course examines how neurosis is represented on screen, analysing characters who struggle with anxiety, emotional rigidity, and a resistance to change. From overthinkers and self-saboteurs to commitment-phobes and existential wanderers, we will explore how these inhibited figures reflect deeper psychoanalytic themes. Drawing on Freud’s theories and key cinematic examples, we will investigate how filmmakers use narrative, visual style, and performance to depict neurotic states of mind. Through engaging discussions and close film analysis, this course will provide insight into the complex psychology of neurotic characters and their ongoing preoccupations.</p><p>Neurosis may have disappeared from psychiatry, but in cinema, it thrives. This course explores how film portrays anxious, obsessive, and self-sabotaging characters grappling with repression and existential doubt. Through Freud’s psychoanalytic lens, we’ll explore some of cinema’s most fascinating neurotics.</p><p>Mary Wild is a film lecturer and podcaster with an academic background in psychoanalytic theory. Her research interests include cinematic representation of the unconscious, surrealism, mental illness, feminine subjectivity, the horror genre, and auteur studies.</p><p>Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Blake Edwards<br/>Harold and Maude (1971) Hal Ashby<br/>Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Woody Allen<br/>Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Mike Newell<br/>Les Amours Imaginaires (2010) Xavier Dolan<br/>Adaptation (2002) Spike Jonze<br/>Into the Wild (2007) Sean Penn<br/>Synecdoche, New York (2008) Charlie Kaufman<br/>The Duke of Burgundy (2014) Peter Strickland</p><ul><li start;="">Understand the relationship between psychoanalysis, TV, and cinema</li><li>Learn film interpretation techniques to approach moving image in a deep and investigative way</li><li>Discover the work of film directors that represent psychoanalytic themes and motifs</li></ul><p>This course is open to all levels; there are no pre-requisites to register. Interest in film is desirable.</p><p>Psychological terms will be taught in an inclusive, accessible and engaging way with the help of bespoke PowerPoint slides and video montages. Group discussion will be encouraged, and there will be no assignments outside of class.</p><p>There are no additional costs beyond the enrolment fee. Material for taking notes will suffice during sessions. Scenes will be shown during the course; students are not required to obtain them.</p><p>Please look also for other Film Studies courses under History Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>Film studiesIntroductory & generalconfigurable
15481580Introductory & generalhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/film-studies/introductory-general1/2/285/1177/1580/15481/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Film studies/Introductory & general
