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The problems that the heroes of post-apocalyptic films solve are far from ours. And abandoned cities, unlike fantasy worlds, do not seem like an attractive place to live. Why then is the post-apocalyptic genre so loved by many? We deal with psychoanalyst Tatyana Panichkina.
Films about post-apocalypse (the world after the end of the world) resemble a nightmare, but this is the paradox: the more bleak a fictional picture, the more attractive it looks. Fans of this genre are attracted by a new reality that is very different from the usual. Here, instead of spending time daily in traffic jams and going to work, you need to survive — escape from aliens or zombies, look for and build shelters, get food.
But after all, you can get away from everyday life in other ways: go as a volunteer to tropical countries or move to the mountains, where there will be no city fuss. However, a change of residence or type of activity, even though it promises to get away from boring everyday life, but keeps life in its usual form — with rules and morality.
The world of children without adults
The situation of the post-apocalypse on film symbolizes rather a return to the primitive system, where the laws of savages apply. In particular, in such a world where everyone sets the rules himself, the heroes of the «Water World» or «The Book of Eli» find themselves.
“The post-apocalyptic plot is very similar to our unconscious,” explains psychoanalyst Tatyana Panichkina. — This is a place where laws do not apply: you need to survive in it and you can do as you want. This is the world of children without adults.
In ordinary life, we often suppress impulses from the unconscious and behave according to the requirements of society. But post-apocalyptic fantasy gives you the opportunity to release pent-up emotions at least for a while — for example, to allow yourself to be rude, and sometimes cruel.
Tatyana Panichkina also mentions the «law of the father» that exists in the psychoanalytic paradigm: parents set the rules, and we are forced to obey them. Modern civilization is becoming a kind of embodiment of this law — we live in a society where our actions are strictly regulated. “And the post-apocalypse is just the story that there are no more laws, you can“ kill your father ”and do whatever you want, live without law,” comments Tatyana Panichkina.
Face your anxieties and fears
Although post-apocalyptic films show a fictional world, it can be a reflection of fears and anxieties that are quite real.
So, often we are afraid to show feelings. It seems to us that it is worth releasing them to freedom, they will become dangerous and harm us and others. As a result, in order to prevent quarrels, we hold back the experience inside. It is this idea that underlies the film «Equilibrium», where feelings are forbidden in order to avoid wars and conflicts.
Dystopia «Equals» is another version of the world without feelings. After the war, which practically destroyed humanity, people built a new society. This world seems ideal, but showing emotions or making physical contact is considered dangerous. Watching the characters who first lost their senses, and then found them again, we live our own story inside ourselves.
“A film about the post-apocalypse can also be a territory of safe fear,” says Tatyana Panichkina. While watching, you can get scared and then feel relieved. A similar effect is provided by rides in amusement parks.
“Such stories are also in demand because they are not only scary, but also comforting,” the psychologist emphasizes. “We are not looking at the stories of those who have died, but of those who have survived and are fighting.” Whatever the true cause of our anxiety, we gain the illusion of control over reality when we watch the surviving characters in a movie or help a character in a video game escape.
Feel alive
When the main concern becomes survival, the heroes feel an adrenaline rush. And although we are not in danger, we become infected with their condition. Tatyana Panichkina notes: “The need to experience vivid emotions, get scared, and then breathe a sigh of relief helps to feel alive.”
Post-apocalyptic reality emphasizes the contrast with everyday life, especially if it has become too predictable and monotonous. “Only on the verge of death, when your life hangs in the balance, you can feel truly alive,” adds the psychologist.
Thirst for revenge
In ordinary life, we often complain about the injustice of the world order, but we do not always find the strength to change it. The fantasy of revenge is embodied, for example, in «Rise of the Planet of the Apes»: monkeys that were previously kept in cages break free. They are stronger than people and now they can determine what the world will be like.
The desire for revenge is usually followed by a fantasy of creating a new world, more prosperous and perfect. However, Tatyana Panichkina notes the illusory nature of such a plan: after all, turning the world into chaos, the post-apocalypse promises more lawlessness than the desired justice.
The post-apocalyptic plot is just the outer shell. Like any other, it is universal, and its fictional world gives free rein to our fantasies and fears. The more it captures and captivates, the more it touches us. So, it tells not so much someone else’s story as our own story.