The poisoned father: Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog and the unexpected relevance of Lacan to psychiatric practice

Abstract

Objective Lacan is often deemed an obscure theorist with little clinical application. However, in film studies his psychoanalytic theory has been highly influential. This paper is part of a series of articles published in this journal accompanying a psychiatry registrar teaching programme on film and psychodynamic concepts. It introduces the Lacanian ideas of the Symbolic, Imaginary and Real as they appear in Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, and discusses their societal and clinical significance. Conclusions A Lacanian reading of Power of the Dog offers insights into ‘toxic masculinity’. Furthermore, it demonstrates how clinical symptoms can represent an escape from socially mediated toxicities.