identity project

IDENTITY (2003)

"Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rainstorm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one."

So the basic plot structure of this fantastic film begins in rural Nevada USA. The story opens with a horrendous thunderstorm that basically renders all routes away and mobile phones useless. The only establishment in the immediate area is an isolated motel in the middle of nowhere which becomes the meeting point for all the characters.

There are several strong characters in the film including: a limo driver and his has been actress passenger, a police officer transported a convicted killer, a Las Vegas prostitute, a mismatched newlywed couple and a timid couple with there young boy.

Once the scene at the motel has been set murders start taking place. Alongside this main plot a side story is developed involving the potential execution of a deranged serial killer, where the psychiatrist of the killer is trying to prove that his client suffers from multiple personality disorder where a separate identity committed the murders which has since completely left him.

I thought this film was worth mentioning because it addresses several starkly different identities later revealing that they all belong to the same person. I guess everybody has different facets to their own personality and display different qualities depending on the company, environment or social appropriateness.

‘Multiply Personality Disorder’ (MPD) also known as ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder’ is the real psychological disorder that is embellished in the film. It is generally thought to be caused by trauma or extreme stress, researchers for instance have found connections between MPD and childhood abuse. Victims of sever trauma or abuse are said to develop MPD as a defence mechanism to cope with the situation. It is difficult to diagnose as it of course is usually not as extreme as depicted in the film but the goal of the treatment is the same, to try and integrate personalities into one.

For this project I think it might be good to look at the different personalities I have in relation to the situations I adopt them in. I think this might be interesting so I’ll come back to this…