Paul Mescal As Calum Patterson Aftersun (2022) Dir. Charlotte Wells

You don’t know how much I would kill for a version of this book from Camilla’s perspective. I have so many questions. Who was she really? What role did she have to play in all the events that unfolded?

I can’t help but think it must have been more sinister than the other characters due to Richard completely omitting anything about her character and personality to such a degree. He romanticized her more then Henry and Julian to such an extent she’s an enigma.

Her story about what happened to the farmer is completely different from Henry’s. She was the only one covered in blood. The group is very protective of her as evidenced by the scene when she injured her foot. She’s the only one in the group who remained cool and unfazed after murdering Bunny. She is seemingly unaffected by the breakdown of the group. She’s aware of the nature of Francis and Charles relationship and does nothing to help him. When Charles begins to spiral further in his addiction she leaves him behind and goes to Henry for protection.

Did she murder the farmer? What did she really think about Richard? Or Henry? How much did she know? How much did she manipulate? So many possibilities.

Texts in Like Minds: Sally's Books

After her first encounter with Alex, Sally returns home and consults a stack of books while listening to the recording of their discussion.  Of this stack, only two titles are discernible.  The first book is shown briefly and set aside, and the second is opened to a bookmarked page.  This large tome is titled Principles of Criminal Psychology (Fifth Edition), by George R. Booth and Andrew Porter.  Sadly, I cannot find even the tiniest scrap of the existence of this book online.  It is clearly a textbook, and presumably one she would have kept from her school days given that it’s directly relevant to her career.  The bookmarked page is titled “Chapter 27: Gestalt Theory”, and the opposite page features photos of Leopold and Loeb, who I have discussed elsewhere.  The text itself is unfortunately not clear enough to be readable. 

Returning to the first book we see, there is much more information to be found online.  It is titled Gestalt Therapy: The Attitude and Practice of an Atheoretical Experientialism by Claudio Naranjo, first published in 1993.

The recording Sally plays during this moment is their exchange regarding gestalt.  This concept is one that the movie highlights in this scene and again at the end during Sally’s address to her peers, but it does not clearly define or explain the idea of “gestalt” for the audience.  Gestalt first arose as a philosophical principle suggesting that the experience of the parts of something cannot fully represent the whole of that thing, like the notes of the song versus the experience of the song itself.  A cursory search of various articles online can give a brief overview of the core ideas of gestalt psychology.  Wikipedia says this:

Gestalt psychologists believed that breaking psychological phenomena down into smaller parts would not lead to understanding psychology.   Instead, they viewed psychological phenomena as organized, structured wholes.  They argued that the psychological "whole" has priority and that the "parts" are defined by the structure of the whole, rather than the other way round.  Gestalt theories of perception are based on human nature being inclined to understand objects as an entire structure rather than the sum of its parts.  

This gives us a more thorough explanation of Alex’s very brief description of “gestalt”, but does not provide much insight into the meaning of his hints to Sally or why gestalt would have any bearing on his relationship with Nigel.  The implication we are left to surmise is that these two separate boys have combined as individuals to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts, and Sally lampshades this idea at the end in her speech referencing the movie title.  However, examination of these two books has given me some new thoughts about the use of gestalt in the film and about Sally’s conclusion regarding the dynamic between them.  

Alex’s next words to Sally feel extremely significant and should be considered thoroughly: “It’s not what it is.  It’s how you use it.”  Given that both these books reference “gestalt therapy” specifically, it’s worth looking beyond the core theory of gestalt psychology to see how therapists actually use these ideas in practice.  I found a clear explanation on this page:

Gestalt therapy is an existential and experiential psychotherapy that focuses on the individual's experience in the present moment, the therapist-client relationship, the environmental and social contexts in which these things take place, and the self-regulating adjustments people make as a result of the overall situation. It emphasizes personal responsibility. Gestalt therapy was co-founded by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls and Paul Goodman in the 1940s–1950s.

Gestalt therapy is built around two central ideas: that the most helpful focus of psychology is the experiential present moment and that everyone is caught in webs of relationships; thus, it is only possible to know ourselves against the background of our relation to other things.

I think we can already see some connections with the story as Alex presents it.  Alex and Nigel are inextricably entwined in a web of relationship, and we the audience find it impossible to understand either character outside of this context.  

Here I would like to suggest some Doylian interpretation which I believe to be possible or even likely, but for which I can offer no concrete evidence.  We know that Greg Read initially intended to make a documentary about the phenomenon of two people who match each other’s freak so well that they enable a worsening of sociopathic tendencies to the level of violent criminal behavior.  In one interview, he referenced a paper he read about gestalt psychology which opened doors in his mind and led him down this path.  He had developed the documentary idea enough to show it to other people, and someone told him it would make a great fictional movie.  Based on this, I assume he must have acquired additional materials beyond that first paper, conducting extensive research on the idea in preparation for the documentary.  I posit that the books Sally uses in this scene are Greg’s books, or copies of the same books he had referenced.  All of Sally’s scenes were filmed in Australia, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he simply brought (or already had) his own books on set.  

Working from that assumption, the ideas found in Gestalt Therapy: The Attitude and Practice of an Atheoretical Experientialism might be taken as extremely influential on Greg’s thought process in writing this film.  While the whole text is not available online, there are a few excerpts one can read for free here.  (The book itself is available through multiple websites for around US$40 at the time of this post.)  If we examine the excerpts below within the context of the movie, a few things really stand out (emphasis mine):

Perls sometimes stated the principle entailed in such strategy as one of absolute validity: You never overcome anything by resisting it. You only can overcome anything by going deeper into it. If you are spiteful, be more spiteful. If you are performing, increase the performance. Whatever it is, if you go deeply enough into it, then it will disappear; it will be assimilated. Any resistance is not good. You have to go full into it—swing with it. Swing with your pain, your restlessness, whatever is there. Use your spite. Use your environment. Use all that you fight and disown.

This sounds remarkably like the process Alex goes through with Nigel, resistant at first and gradually leaning into the swing, learning to embrace and roll with all the things he was fighting against.  A case might also be made that Nigel partakes in this process as well: he too is resistant to Alex initially, but the train scene marks a turning point in which he seems to make the decision to lean into the violence that Alex offers.  

Returning to Alex’s assertion that it’s not about what gestalt is, but how you use it, these passages take on a whole new meaning.  Sally’s speech at the end of the movie suggests that she arrived at the conclusion, based on her belief in Alex’s version of events, that Nigel essentially used the techniques of gestalt therapy in a twisted, malicious way to manipulate Alex towards the culmination of the film. As she says,

“What follows, through a system of either intimidation, manipulation, or coercion, is the dominant individual begins to focus and influence the thoughts of the subordinate partner.  This process nurtures a subjective gestalt where similar thoughts, fantasies, and other interlocking elements conspire to form a greater and more volatile whole, therefore, a merging of like minds.” 

Now read the excerpt below in light of these descriptions: 

In the strategy which pervades Gestalt practice, the therapist is leading the patient through a process similar to that through which a child that is learning to sit on a chair needs to discover that he can sit only by giving his back to the chair, not by moving towards it. While this is a discovery that many make at a certain point in a typical session, a spectator may not share the insight. The patient discovers that his resentment was a diluted and devious form of healthy aggression, for instance, but this spectator may be frightened by what he sees as destructive loss of control; what the patient experiences as a rewarding and cleansing explosion of grief, brought about by the exaggeration of emptiness, the observer without familiarity with Gestalt may fear that the therapist, by urging on the patient’s symptoms, may lead him to suicide. The therapist’s ability to bring a patient to the turning point where his disowned destructive energies become his own purified strength will depend, in large measure, not upon technique alone, but on his experiential knowledge that this is possible, and in the consequent sense of trust in the constructive drives of which pathological manifestations are a distortion brought about by unhealthy denial and which can heal by itself in the presence of awareness. Such trust will enable him to pursue a given course of action to an effective degree, in spite of the patient’s chaos, rage, or loss of control—and will be important, too, in eliciting the necessary trust in the patient for him to let go. Gestalt therapy is based on the principle that to alleviate unresolved negative feelings like anger, pain, anxiety, and resentment, those emotions cannot just be discussed, but must be actively expressed in the present. Without that, psychological and physical symptoms can arise.

These passages represent the intended healthy expression of these principles.  If we take these ideas and techniques and twist them into an unhealthy, intentionally manipulative and toxic dynamic, it maps quite clearly onto the relationship between Alex and Nigel and the actions they take throughout the film.  Sally assumes that Nigel is in the role of the “therapist” leading Alex the patient through this process.  The movie’s ending presents itself as a twist and suggests that these roles were in fact reversed, particularly in light of Alex’s first interview with Sally and his ominous and vague statements about Nigel's death being a necessary means to an end.  If we accept that conclusion at face value, then consider how Alex “urging on the patient’s symptoms” may have actually “led him to suicide”.

The Gestalt therapist contrives experiments that lead the client to greater awareness and fuller experience of his/her possibilities. Experiments can be focused on undoing projections or retroflections. They can work to help the client with closure of unfinished Gestalts ("unfinished business" such as unexpressed emotions towards somebody in the client's life). 

What is the climax of this movie if not Nigel creating a violent type of closure with his unexpressed emotions toward his parents?  “It’s how you use it.”  Did Alex use gestalt therapy techniques to draw Nigel into this violent chain of events as “a means to an end”?  If so, what actually was the “end” he desired?

Incorporating this information into our interpretations of the movie still does not necessarily force us into accepting Alex as Mastermind as the only reading.  I think you can certainly see that dynamic, but it doesn’t preclude Nigel as Mastermind.  In my further reading regarding gestalt therapy, I found this passage in a blog post:

A thirst for experience is part of all life. Often though, this takes the form of a wanting to move on and on to other experiences than those at hand. A craving for more replaces the need for depth that could be our natural mode of contacting the world, had we not become desensitized to it. Intuitively seeking that depth or fullness of awareness that is on our birthright, and not finding it, we seek the substitute of environmental stimulation: spicy foods, rock climbing, high-speed sportscars, competitive games, tragedies on the movie screen.

This describes Alex perfectly and speaks to his own need for the gestalt therapeutic approach.  We could argue that Nigel addresses this drive for more experiences by bringing Alex into a focus on the depths of the present moment, existing in the now that Nigel creates for him as he attempts to understand his own feelings and reactions.  As the book puts it:

The Perlses believed that it is not our responsibility to live up to others' expectations, nor should we expect others to live up to ours. In building self-awareness, gestalt therapy aims to help clients better understand themselves and how the choices they make affect their health and their relationships. 

 My own interpretation is one of equal partners both playing the role of therapist and patient to each other.  Gestalt therapy relies on the ability of the therapist to set aside their own interpretations of the patient's experiences in favor of allowing or guiding the patient to arrive at their own understandings and conclusions. I do not think that sole responsibility can be placed on either Nigel or Alex, and the events of the movie could not or would not have transpired without the active participation of both boys in each other's lives.  While the context is a dark expression of these ideas, both Alex and Nigel help each other build self-awareness and achieve a better understanding of themselves.

Like Minds Masterpost

The friendship between Neil and Charlie makes me genuinely so distraught. Like Neil was his best friend. He was his best friend and he left him at the Welton alone. He had to be the one to tell Todd, and maybe the others, that Neil was dead. He had to deal with all of the adults, and Cameron, blaming Keating for his death and he got expelled when he opposed that idea.

I have so many thoughts about him.

Realising that in a somewhat twisted way Dead Poets Society is the perfect coming of age movie. There’s this friendgroup that have been together for years, a new kid joins and becomes part of the group, a new teacher changes their lives, they start to become the dead poets society, one of them grows as a writer, another as an actor, two others are geniuses, there’s one that’s head over heels and thinks about nothing else, a know-it-all, there’s the class clown that’s actually a sweetheart. And just as they’re all about to be the happiest they’ve ever been it starts to go wrong and fall apart and the actor has the best moments of his life on stage with his family watching, not his shit parents, but the six boys and teacher who he loves more than anything; then his day, his life really, is ruined by his fucking father. His last act of agency is deciding to kill himself before he has no choice in anything anymore.

Somehow there is still 30 minutes left to the movie.

We see the best friend having to tell the friendgroup, and then the boy who loved his best friend, that’s his dead. We see them break apart from the heartbreak and the loss, none of them will ever be the same. Just a month before they were joking and living and free and now they are grieving and the love has nowhere to go now that their friend is gone. Then the best friend gets kicked out and sent away for punching another group member because he felt so betrayed. Then they lose the teacher that taught them how to truly be free.

Dead Poets Society has every emotion possible and a character for every kind of teenager and as someone who’s freshly 18 and out of school this is how growing up feels. It was never as drastic as the poet’s situation, but splitting apart, everyone going seperate ways, struggling to see each other, losing one another, being forced into lives you don’t want to live with all of your happiest days behind you and it hurts a lot, it’s a subsection of grief because it really feels like loss.

On a side note trying not to use their names was so hard??? I think about them so much they’re basically my friends Fr Fr

I’m the girls

I desperately need like minds but as a mockumentary. Like for example Alex and Nigel at the morgue over Susan’s Body. Alex having the worst time of his life

Nigel: “she’s yours Jack”

Alex: *sighs, pinches the bridge of his nose and stares at the ceiling*

Cut to Alex being interviewed

“Middle of the night. No explanation. Just "This way" and like an idiot, I follow him. And where do we end up? A morgue. Of course. What did I even expect?” *dramatically throws his hands up* “At this point, I’m beyond questioning it. I’m just… I need a nap.” *stares into the camera like he’s on the verge of a breakdown*

Or an interview after Josh and Alex chloroformed Nigel and dragged him onto a train

Nigel: *perfectly calm* “I get it, I may have freaked him out with the taxidermy and all but chloroform and kidnapping me? That was excessive. I feel like Alex should unpack that urge with a professional.” *after a few seconds silence* “can’t say I didn’t enjoy it tho”

Or the crawlspace scene

Nigel: “we’ve been brought together for a reason. And it’s written here. For eternity.”

Cut to interview

Alex: “Okay so at first I thought he was into me. But then he started talking about 12th century Templar orders and him being my *air quotes* 'implement for killing' and I realized it was somehow even weirder than that.”

New scene, Josh’s funeral:

Alex grieving, looks up and catches Nigel staring at him from across the grave

Cut to interview

Alex: “so I’m grieving, right? My best friend? Dead. In the ground. And then I look up and guess who’s staring at me like some kind of american psycho?? Well I give you a hint. His name starts with N and ends in igel. Just standing there staring, no shame, all intense and broody. Like, sir, MY FRIEND'S DEAD BODY IS LITERALLY BETWEEN US. CAN YOU MAYBE NOT RIGHT NOW??”

why do I have to remember?

The Secret History

( 𝒾’𝓂 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁𝓈 )

is this anything