Should you watch The Century of the Self?
Who it’s good for, who it isn’t, and what’s in it. No ratings, no scores.
The Century of the Self
Documentary · 2002
The legacy of famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud informs the lives of people throughout the world even to this day, though it's a phenomenon to which most are unaware. The film is an exhaustive examination of his theories on human desire, and how they're applied to platforms such as advertising, consumerism and politics.
The sides of The Century of the Self
- Freud's nephew inventing public relations
- Advertising that sells to our desires
- Politicians governing by focus group
The Century of the Self is good for you if…
- you like learning how Freud's ideas shaped advertising and politics.
- you like the true story of Edward Bernays turning his uncle's theories into marketing.
- you like a century of history told through archive footage.
The Century of the Self is bad for you if…
- four hours of archive and interviews is too much for you.
- you find grainy old archive footage dated.
About: consumerism · desire · democracy
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