Jobs: A Freudian Perspective

Reviews the film, Jobs directed by Joshua Michael Stern (2013). An old-school Freudian might see this film as a classic manifestation of the battle between Eros and Thanatos. Driven to create the next revolution in technology, Jobs is ruthless and his human connections dispensable. Why or how Jobs b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPsycCritiques Vol. 59; no. 7; p. No Pagination Specified
Main Author Grier-Reed, Tabitha
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published American Psychological Association 17.02.2014
Subjects
Freudian Psychoanalytic School
Human
Male
Motivation
Occupational Success
Technology
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Summary:Reviews the film, Jobs directed by Joshua Michael Stern (2013). An old-school Freudian might see this film as a classic manifestation of the battle between Eros and Thanatos. Driven to create the next revolution in technology, Jobs is ruthless and his human connections dispensable. Why or how Jobs becomes so driven, so ruthless, and so visionary is unclear from the film. On some level, he seems unknowable—a mystery—and on another level, Jobs is a startling portrayal of archetypal Freudian psychology. The film opens with a young Jobs playing by his own rules—pursuing higher education and taking college courses even though he has dropped out of school. The movie follows him to middle age, ending with his triumphal return to Apple. The goal of this biopic seems to be a multifaceted portrayal of Jobs—a man who is deeply flawed on the one hand and a genius on the other. To that end, the film succeeds; however, the film fails to shed light on the more complex inner workings of Jobs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
ISSN:1554-0138
1554-0138
DOI:10.1037/a0035936