Psychology of movies: Split and the multiple personalities

Split

How well does Hollywood portray mental disorders and other psychological problems? In this series of posts, we will analyze some films and see how cinema takes advantage to entertain and at the same time try to generate box office with the problems of the human mind. Some disorders are so strange that they seem to be a product of the screenwriter's imagination and others are shown in a very fanciful way, which makes the public doubt their existence or misconceptions are created.

Split is an American 2016 film, directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan and starring by James McAvoy. The argument is that Kevin (McAvoy) lives with 23 other personalities in his body and is waiting for the number 24, which the others call "The Beast" and who kidnap young women who will be the food of this personality, the which finally reveals itself as a very powerful being, with an overwhelming force, capable of doing impossible stuff like growing up and gaining muscles in seconds (a kind Hulk).

Split movie page www.uphe.com

Disorder

The disorder sufferer by Kevin, is popularly known as multiple personality disorder, but its scientific name is dissociative personality disorder and consists precisely in this: in one person does not reside one personality, as is normal, but live at least two and even an indeterminate number of personalities, and may go over 100. Each of these personalities has its own tastes, interests, ages, sex, way of walking, talking, etc., as if it were someone else's; they may even be unaware of the existence of the rest of the personalities.

What causes it?

The explanation far surpasses the scope of this post, I will only tell you that the most accepted theory is that it is a mechanism of evasion before trauma or very severe abuse in childhood. Actually it´s suffered by Kevin, who is shown in some flashbacks as her mother physically abused frequently. This theory says that the mind is invented alternate personalities, who are not going through the mistreatment and thus be able to survive this. Thus, the one mistreated and traumatized is only Kevin and not the rest of the alter ego, who can be successful and happy people.
Around this disorder there is much controversy, in fact many psychologists and psychiatrists even deny its existence and say that the few documented cases are simply fraud: patients fake the symptoms, but that is another matter and theme for a possible future post.

Review

Is the treatment of the disorder accurate in the film? No. I cannot give an intermediate answer. Although it is correct in some things, as the possible origin of the disorder due to the infantile abuse suffered and the presentation of the different personalities of Kevin is very good, the fact that they were preparing the way for the arrival of another, kidnapping girls to offer them in sacrifice to someone who did not yet exist, in addition to the completely fanciful characteristics of "The Beast", make the approach to the disorder not the most appropriate. Look out! I'm not evaluating the film in any other aspect, in fact I liked it a lot, it manages to keep the suspense from beginning to end and the main performances are simply masterful. My analysis is strictly of the use made of the psychological disorder of the main character.

What about you, did you see it? What do you think? I will be presenting more posts like this with other films dealing with various psychological issues, see you!