Abstract
As the volume introduction noted, the threat and occurrence of death are common elements of a wide range of films across eras and genres. While various perspectives can be fruitfully applied to examining death in films, in this chapter we focus on how films illuminate the psychological consequences of the human awareness of death. To do so, we utilize a well-supported psychological theory regarding how people manage the problem of death to discuss four superficially very different films that pertain to the human response to death.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Becker, E. (1973). The denial of death. New York, NY: The Free Press.
Chaplin, S. (2000). The psychology of time and death. Ashland, OH: Sonnet Press.
Cohen, F., Sullivan, D., Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Ogilvie, D. M. (2011). Finding everland: Flight fantasies and the desire to transcend mortality. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 88–102.
Cox, C. R., Goldenberg, J. L., Pyszczynski, T., & Weise, D. (2007). Disgust, creatureliness and the accessibility of death-related thoughts. European Journal of Social Psychology. 37, 494–507.
Greenberg, J. & Arndt, J. (2011). Terror management theory. In Kruglanski, A., E. T. Higgins, & P. van Lange (Eds.), Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology, Vol. 1. (pp. 398–415 ). London: Sage Press.
Greenberg, J., Kosloff, S., Solomon, S., Cohen, F., & Landau, M. J. (2010). Toward understanding the fame game: The effect of mortality salience on the appeal of fame. Self and Identity, 9, 1–18.
Jonas, E., Schimel, J., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. (2002). The Scrooge Effect: Evidence that mortality salience increases prosocial attitudes and behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1342–1353.
Landau, M. J., Greenberg, J., & Solomon, S. (2008). The neverending story: A terror management perspective on the psychological function of self-continuity. In F. Sani (Ed.), Individual and collective self-continuity: Psychological perspectives. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 87–100.
Mikulincer, M., Florian, V., & Hirschberger, G. (2003). The existential function of close relationships: Introducing death into the science of love. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 7, 20–40.
Sullivan, D., Greenberg, J., & Landau, M.J. (2009). Toward a new understanding of two films from the dark side: Terror management theory applied to Rosemary’s Baby and Straw Dogs. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 37, 42–51.
Wisman, A., & Goldenberg, J. L. (2005). From the grave to the cradle: Evidence that mortality salience engenders a desire for offspring. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 46–61.
Yalom, I. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2013 Daniel Sullivan and Jeff Greenberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Greenberg, J., Ayars, A. (2013). A Terror Management Analysis of Films from Four Genres: The Matrix, Life is Beautiful, Iron Man 2, and Ikiru. In: Sullivan, D., Greenberg, J. (eds) Death in Classic and Contemporary Film. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137276896_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137276896_2
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-44686-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-27689-6
eBook Packages: Palgrave Media & Culture CollectionLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)