PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE MAIN CHARACTER IN OPPENHEIMER (2023) MOVIE

I Gusti Putra Kamayana; Komang Satria Wirasa

doi:10.47701/frasa.v7i2.5926

Authors

I Gusti Putra Kamayana Universitas Dhyana Pura
Komang Satria Wirasa Dwijendra University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47701/frasa.v7i2.5926

Keywords:

Psychological Aspects, Human Motivation, Film Analysis, Main Character Psychology

Abstract

The exploration of human psychological aspects is essential to understanding character development, particularly within cinematic narratives. Although previous psychological studies on film characters have extensively examined internal mental conflicts, they frequently overlook how these dimensions interact with broader narrative contexts, ethical dilemmas, and institutional power dynamics. To address this gap, this study aims to analyse the psychological aspects of the main character in Christopher Nolan's film Oppenheimer (2023) through the lens of Bernhardt's (1953) theory of human motivation. Employing a qualitative method with non-participant observation techniques, this research examines dialogues, scenes, non-verbal expressions, and actions based on five motivational classifications: appetites, wants, emotions, feelings and attitudes, and social motives. The analysis was validated through researcher triangulation during the data grouping and psychological interpretation stages. The findings reveal that while all classifications within Bernhardt’s framework are present, the emotional aspect emerges as the most dominant. This dominance directly reflects the intense inner conflict triggered by the moral pressure, scientific responsibility, and political power dynamics faced by the protagonist. In conclusion, these findings indicate that character development in films is profoundly driven by ongoing emotional struggles, thereby enriching literary and film psychology by integrating character analysis with complex historical and ethical contexts.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Amnesi, N. A., & Skolastika, I. M. P. (2023). The analysis of psychological aspect of main character in Cruella movie. Austronesian: Journal of Language Science & Literature, 2(3), 143–155. https://doi.org/10.59011/austronesian.2.3.2023.143-155 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59011/austronesian.2.3.2023.143-155

Aryani, & Sugiyo. (2023). Kajian psikoanalisis terhadap perilaku tokoh utama dalam novel Samantha karya Risa Saraswati. Jurnal Sasindo Unpam, 11(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.33654/iseta.v1i0.1788

Bagtayan, Z. A., & Lantowa, J. (2022). Psychology analysis of main character in the novel Gitanjali by Febrialdi R. Pioneer: Journal of Language and Literature, 14(1), 220–234. https://doi.org/10.36841/pioneer.v14i1.1694 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36841/pioneer.v14i1.1694

Bernhardt, K. S. (1953). Practical psychology. McGraw-Hill.

Bordwell, D., & Thompson, K. (2020). Film art: An introduction. McGraw-Hill Education.

Coplan, A. (2006). Catching characters’ emotions: Emotional contagion responses to narrative fiction film. Film Studies, 8(1), 26–38. https://doi.org/10.7227/FS.8.5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7227/FS.8.5

Currie, G. (2009). Narrative and the psychology of character. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 67(1), 61–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6245.2008.01335.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6245.2008.01335.x

Cutting, J. E. (2018). Cryptic emotions and the emergence of a metatheory of film. Cognitive Science, 42(S4), 1368–1392. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12586 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12586

Denzin, N. K. (1978). The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods. McGraw-Hill.

Eder, J., Jannidis, F., & Schneider, R. (2022). Characters in film and other media. Open Book Publishers.

Fitriani, Y. (2019). The analysis of psychological aspects of the main character in movie Joker based on Sigmund Freud theory. Humanitatis: Journal of Language and Literature, 6(1), 119–128. https://doi.org/10.30812/humanitatis.v6i1.559

Gorbman, C. (1987). Unheard melodies: Narrative film music. Indiana University Press.

Lingga Afrili, N., Susanto, A., & Nur, T. (2024). Struktur kepribadian tokoh Helen dalam novel Helen dan Sukanta karya Pidi Baiq: Kajian psikologi sastra. Jurnal Bastra, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.36709/bastra.v9i1.367

Pease, A., & Pease, B. (2004). The definitive book of body language. Bantam Books.

Ramalho, J. J. (2026). The eyes in close-up: Surveillance, control, and montage in Eisenstein. Arts, 15(2), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/arts15020039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/arts15020039

Rengganis Wijayanti, D. A., Sudipa, I. N., & Weddha Savitri, P. (2018). Psychological aspects of the main character in the movie If I Stay. Humanis. https://doi.org/10.24843/jh.2018.v22.i04.p01 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24843/JH.2018.v22.i04.p01

Tan, E. S. (2018). A psychology of the film. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 4(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-018-0111-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-018-0111-y

Feist, G. J. (2023). The psychology of scientific achievement: Creativity, ambition, and moral burden. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 17(2), 145–158. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000542 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000542