If The Phantom Menace portrayed the tension between Introverted and Extraverted Thinking (i.e. Ti and Te), then Attack of the Clones explores Extraverted versus Introverted Feeling (i.e. Fe vs. Fi).

Fe emphasises our duties and obligations within our respective social roles. As a Jedi, Obi-Wan has a duty that goes beyond his own personal feelings—he is a Jedi first and an individual second. On the other hand, Fi transcends these roles, freeing us from the context of whatever role we’re playing at the time: the guiding principle instead is what we personally feel is right—this is embodied by Anakin’s choices in the film.

These are the functions of Fe and Fi as acted-out within the psyche of an INTP, however. Fe is the Anima/Animus, being positive and idealised, whereas Fi is the Demonic Personality, being steeped in the darkest of connotations. It’s personal bonds that keep leading Anakin down the path of the Dark Side because he’s ignoring his larger duties and obligations.

One scene in particular makes this dichotomy quite plain: Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme are chasing Count Dooku on Geonosis when Padme falls out of their ship. Anakin demands that they fly back to get her, but Obi-Wan bites back: “Don’t let your personal feelings get in the way!” He then asks “What do you think Padme would do, were she in your position?” to which Anakin must admit, “She would do her duty.” Padme, of course, is Fe as the Anima. (See my earlier post on The Phantom Menace.)

Beyond all this, Te (as the Opposing Personality) gets another beating, this time as a political philosophy: when Anakin advocates what is essentially a benevolent dictatorship, his reasoning is simply, “If it works…” Meanwhile, Dex’s commentary on the difference between knowledge and wisdom can easily be interpreted as Te vs. Ti.

There’s more, but I need to ponder it further…

I just finished watching The Phantom Menace for the first time in years, and something leapt out at me this time around:

The major theme here is Ti versus Te.

Te is symbolised by the planet of Coruscant, and in particular by the Senate and the Jedi Council. These arms of the Republic have become unthinking and institutional, following their rules and procedures to the letter rather than the spirit of their laws. This is, essentially, a cautionary tale of Te run amok and is a great example of the Te Opposing Personality in INTPs.

Ti, on the other hand, has its mouthpiece in Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson). This Jedi Knight will “do what [he] must” despite what “the system” says. He’s a loose cannon as far as the Jedi Council are concerned because he won’t go along with consensus judgements (Te). It’s here that we see a clear example of the Ti Hero, where independent, intellectual judgement (free from “the party line”) is where the primary source of identity lies. (It seems pretty clear, too, that Jinn is essentially George Lucas’ surrogate.)

Perhaps most notably, however, the idyllic Naboo represents Fe. Why? It’s the primary depiction of the idea of symbiosis (i.e. mutual cooperation). Interestingly, it also stands-in for the feminine principle — the Anima — as embodied by Padme. Again and again, the Anima/Animus function seems to be offered as the ideal state to strive towards. Fascinating!

Finally, Se — trade, greed and conspicuous consumption — is played by both the Trade Federation and Watto, the junk dealer. These are Tricksters: dubious figures who aren’t outright villains.

I’m sure there’s more here as well, but that’s all I’ve got for the time being. But despite what anyone may think of the film’s merits, it’s yet another window into the INTP psyche and is valuable on that basis alone.

In conclusion:

• Hero/Heroine: Qui-Gon Jinn (Ti)
• Anima/Animus: Naboo (Fe)
• Opposing Personality: Coruscant (Te)
• Trickster: Trade Federation, Watto (Se)

Let me demonstrate the idea of Jungian functions as archetypes by analysing one of my favourite films: Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.

Gilliam strikes me as the quintessential ENTP: manic, irreverent and full of whimsy. His filmmaking career is an exercise in maverick eccentricity, often leading to disaster (with Brazil being a case-in-point), but he always leaves his mark, being a fine example of a modern auteur.

According to John Beebe, the films of auteurs are akin to their dreams, and furthermore, instances of dream archetypes can be interpreted as Jungian psychological functions. In the case of an ENTP, we have…

1. Hero/Heroine: Extraverted iNtuition (Ne)
2. Good Parent: Introverted Thinking (Ti)
3. Eternal Child: Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
4. Anima/Animus: Introverted Sensation (Si)
5. Opposing Personality: Introverted iNtuition (Ni)
6. Senex/Witch: Extraverted Thinking (Te)
7. Trickster: Introverted Feeling (Fi)
8. Demonic Personality: Extraverted Sensation (Se)

So in the case of Brazil, the characters that stand-in for these archetypes (e.g. Hero, Anima, etc.) should somehow embody or personify the respective psychological functions within an ENTP (assuming I’ve typed Gilliam correctly). For anyone who’s seen Brazil, this should illustrate Beebe’s theory nicely.

In order to be intellectually honest in this affair, I’ll try not to force the data (i.e. the characters and plot) to the conclusions (i.e. the interpretation via Beebe’s theory) — the connections drawn should be fairly obvious.

As a taste, let’s look at the Hero of Brazil. I don’t think I need to argue the case that Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is the Hero in this tale. Does he embody Ne?

To attack this problem with a left-field approach, consider that Sam’s dreams symbolically mirror his own life, and that the “Dream Sam” — an Icarus-like figure who soars through the sky, initially free of any care or anchoring concern — metaphorically represents Sam-as-Hero better than the “real-life” Sam might (stricken as he is with neuroses).

iNtuition is the realm of symbolism and metaphor, with Ne in particular being a free-form exploration of possibilities. That this should be depicted in Brazil in metaphorical language as “flights of fancy” seems wholly appropriate. Indeed, blue-sky daydreaming is the perfect image for pure Ne.

Does this seem to fit? To me it certainly does.

Next time: The Good Parent (Ti)…