Clinical and psychological analysis of incomplete separation in the personality structure of a film character (Based on the film The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background.The phenomenon of infantilism and incomplete separation in socially adapted adults remains one of the least diagnosed yet widespread forms of personality organization. In mass culture, such states are not only represented but also acquire the status of socially approved scenarios, which complicates their psychological reflection. The cinema of E. Ryazanov, in particular the character of Evgeny Lukashin, provides unique material for the clinical and psychological reconstruction of this phenomenon in its culturally normative form. Purpose.To identify the symptom complex of incomplete separation-individuation in the personality structure of a film character and to interpret the narrative logic of the film as a model of refusal of psychological autonomy. Materials and methods.The material of the study is the film The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! (dir. E. Ryazanov, 1975). The methodological framework is an integrative approach combining M. Mahler’s theory of separation-individuation, D.W. Winnicott’s concept of the «false self,» the archetypal analysis of the puer aeternus (M.-L. von Franz), and methods of film psychology. A qualitative case study analysis was applied, with hermeneutic interpretation of the character’s behavioral, speech, and spatial markers. Results.It is established that the personality of Evgeny Lukashin is organized around the core of incomplete separation, fixated on the rapprochement subphase. Key markers are identified: diffuseness of personal boundaries, regressive affectivity, lack of agency, and the structuring of relationships according to the «mother – obedient child» model. It is shown that Galya functions as an institutionalized mother substitute, while Nadya represents a projection of an idealized object (anima) that does not lead to genuine individuation. The spatial environment (standard apartment) is interpreted as an externalization of a diffuse self. The film’s ending is reinterpreted not as a happy ending, but as a culturally sanctioned scenario of «magical rescue» that blocks maturation. The character’s image is correlated with the puer aeternus archetype and the model of infantilized masculinity of the late Soviet period. It is concluded that the film objectifies the collective psychological conflict of the era, legitimizing dependency as the norm. Based on the analysis, an operationalized model of the symptom complex of incomplete separation has been developed, applicable in diagnostic and correctional work with young people.
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $80
OpenAlex ID: W7204998497