MovieChat Forums > The Three Faces of Eve (1957) Discussion > Three orientations to sexuality

Three orientations to sexuality

posted 18 years ago by higgs_boson
19 replies | jump to latest

While watching The Three Faces of Eve I noticed how this movie illustrates the three phases of sexuality in a way identical to Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colors film trilogy Blue, White, and Red http://imdb.com/name/nm0001425/

Eve goes from being sexually repressed and isolated (blue), aggressive and predatory after she eats the forbidden fruit (white), and finally sexually integrative and connected by blood (red).

I wonder what percentage of women in today's society reach the third stage of sublimated (or voyeuristic) sexuality.

It's significant that Eve's doctor is named Luther after the architect of Protestantism. Eve's initial repressed state of isolation-in-marriage could be considered a symptom of Christianity in general and Protestantism in particular.

In my opinion this film is a cultural commentary and isn't about multiple personality disorder.

[–] hrhqueene 17 years ago

Oh, I see. You're equating Protestant Christianity with mental illness. How original.

There was not an iota of suggestion in the film to any religious symbolism, no mention of Eve White's attendance at a church of any kind, no ministers or any other trapping of religion. So from where did you extrapolate that?

You could as well hypothesize that the doctor was named Luther after Superman's archenemy. After all, he did help her lose her "superpowers". Or perhaps he was Luther Burbank, helping make something useful of her various components. That wouldn't be any more a stretch than the lame theory you put forth.

Don't look now, but your anti-Christian prejudice is showing.

[–] Oliver_Alla 17 years ago

Take it easy, boy. Can't you respect a point of view?

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] gsellars-1 10 years ago

I think you failed to recognize that he felt his point of view wasn't respected.

I think the last paragraph illustrates it pretty convincingly.

Had the commenter stopped before mentioning "Luther," the objection probably would not have been considered.

On the other hand, I think it's quite possible that, had the commenter been more objective and honest, both in his considerations of the movie, society and Hollywood's incessant attempt to destroy good morals in America for the last 100 years, he should and would have suggested that the maker's of the movie wanted the commenter's suggestion to have been the commonly held subliminal message.

If the movie had been made today, we would have seen Eve totally naked in a scene or two and probably committing fellatio with at least one stranger and most likely in a public place.

Look what Hollywood has accomplished in destroying good morals. The immoral object to my words with mockery and disdain but when did you last hear the news media or Hollywood (or these deceitful fools) calling for a discussion and surveys on how many men and women think it's OK if their spouse has sex with someone else? Morality is the strength of a society. Morality extends beyond sexuality into honesty and ethics. Have you noticed how many hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars have been lost to America through the immorality of business? Do you suppose none of those crooks watched or listened to Hollywood or the news media?

Brainwashing is Hollywood's and the major media's strength. How do you think a foreign born alien, communist muslim got elected (ignoring voter fraud, of course), put all his old anti-American cronies in positions of significance (while claiming he would have complete transparency and no cronyism), and yet the media never makes a peep, even when the mother of a slain homosexual in his (ex)church says "They murdered my son because of his homosexual relationship to him?"

But what would be the response if it were a Tea Party member or a Republican? The entire nation would know it and you'd see the reporters walking up to him and asking him to talk about it.

It's no secret that Hollywood has always despised Christianity and wanted to rid the country of it and will make movies that lose money to denigrate it when they could make far more by honoring it.

The trouble Mel Gibson had trying to get "The Passion" made comes to mind.

BTW, another of Hollywood's and the media's tricks (in collusion) is to pretend "all is well" when their influence is holding sway and raising a ruckus when they think any godly perspective has a chance of succeeding.

Jesus did say that satan is the god of this world.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] TanteWaileka 9 years ago

Thank you for saying that! I always get so upset by anti-Christian commentary I flounder around and cannot say what I want to say, but from now on I'll just say "See what 'gsellers-1' said" here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051077/board/reply/222431220

Blessings upon you and yours!

Life is a journey not a destination. Fear nothing.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] quickkid802 16 years ago

what is even more interesting is that you bring up sexuality at all.i am curently taking a class on psych and am very interested in his subject. i belive it is crucitl that you understand that 94% of casses of mpd is caused by sexual abuse.

[–] mking-12 16 years ago

Isn't there a lot of controversy about whether multiple personality even exists? It's a popular subject for movies because it's quite simplistic and allows for great acting pyrotechnics but movie portrayals don't allow for the much of the dreary reality of mental illness for most people afflicted.

[–] Purplepenpal 16 years ago

I have worked with MPD and I can tell you it definately exists and as someone on this thread also said is most commonly associated with survivors of sexual abuse.

[–] slinter 15 years ago

True, but not every case of mental illness is the result of sexual abuse. I think we often seek or see some sort of sexual connotation in things around us, where none necessarily exists. I know people who have evinced signs of mental illness, having nothing whatsoever to do with sex in any form. It may make dramatic movie plots, but it isn't always the reality of things.

[–] eadoe 15 years ago

Slinter said "not every case of mental illness is the result of sexual abuse." But that's not what the previous posters said. They said that multiple personality disorder is nearly always the result of child sexual abuse. And that is certainly true. There are many other types of mental illness that are caused by chemical imbalances, etc., but it is a telling indictment of the power and trauma of child sexual abuse that the most incredible mental illness of all, the actual splintering of the human psyche, primarily has its roots in sexual abuse. Also, the majority of women who are suicidal were incest victims. So the two most devastating forms of mental illness are associated with child sexual abuse. Interesting to note that multiple personality disorder and suicide are both an attempt to escape the body that has been violated -- one a mental escape and the other a permanent physical escape. Many of the alternate personalities of these women say that the rape happened to "her" -- meaning their other self -- thus mentally dissociating themselves from the abuse. It seems a logical way for a child's mind to handle something so traumatic. Remember, these are kids whose nightmares occur even in the daytime, and whose monsters are real. I think kids just aren't equipped to handle that, except sometimes through the fantasy of escaping into another kid.

"The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power."
- Julius Caesar, act 2 sc 1

[–] rissypants15 14 years ago

That is perfectly correct. One of my dear friends at school was raped when she was younger by a family member and she developed MPD, because she wanted one person who was happy and had a "clean body" she would always say. And the other one was the "failure" and "dirty"person. The Clean person would lift weights everyday after school because she always wanted protection and the other half would stay spend hours in her room hiding from people.
It was difficult for her to admit to both people, and try to get rid of them because she said she knew her other half kept her happy and let her be a person everyone like.
But watching movies like this, Sybil and Snake Pit, and Girl, Interrupted, Showed me how to react to her. Because at first I was scared. Then I decided I would help her because I would never understand how much pain she was in, but I knew she needed a real person their to be her crutch and not just a made up personality.

"the crunch means it's working"

[–] justaudrey 13 years ago

That's a really beautiful story of how you wanted to help her. I wish more people were as kind and caring.

[–] heaintloveu 12 years ago

It's "disassociative personality disorder," not "multiple."

[–] i_know_right 10 years ago

Well, it's dissociative* identity disorder, yes. If you were correcting the person who divulged the situation with her friend, maybe they said MPD 'cause that still remains common terminology, particularly in more laymen contexts (though yeah it is less accurate). Anyway way late to the party.

[–] rob-949 12 years ago

For the record, the real Eve White persona was highly religious and repressed. See the real "Eve" say so at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTvr2fDBjmg

[–] gsellars-1 10 years ago

The link has been removed for copyright violation. If you know of another, you might want to put it in it's place. Since I never saw the video to which you referred, I wouldn't be qualified to pick a replacement.