Cinema Therapy — Charlyne Gelt, Ph.D.

Blinded by the Light

"Life is a short pause between two mysteries." Carl Jung

The film’s title is a metaphor for the inner light that drives us towards a journey of individuation, an almost universal experience. Blinded by the Light, set in 1987 Luton, England during a time of great racial and economic turmoil, is the powerfully moving account of a British-born Pakistani teen’s struggle to come of age and follow his dream of becoming a writer. This immediately puts him at odds with his authoritarian father’s deeply-rooted Pakistani traditions and beliefs. The wage-slave father, Malik Khan (Kulvinder Ghir) had left Pakistan in search of a better life, had become discouraged, and now sees change as threatening and believes he has no choice but to muddle through life. The son, Javed Kahn (Viveik Kaira), 16, is expected to adapt, adjust, bury his feelings, and repress his gifts. Father and son each view life from a different lens and continue to clash, forcing Javed to keep secrets and suffer fears of punishment. The father’s actions and behaviors do little to inspire his son to do more than continue the struggle.

Javed feels trapped! Javed has no one to mentor him and show him the way ― until a school friend introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen. Javed recognizes parallels between the singer’s powerful lyrics and his own working class-environment. The spell of Springsteen's melodies (which are showcased in the film) become the driving force that inspires Javed to find the courage to transition from being a victim (of both his father’s hard core traditional believes and the anti-immigrant bullying from local skinheads) ― to separate, become his own man. Javid rocks the boat! And it is his strong need to transcend the brutal intolerance of others that makes Javed and Bruce kindred spirits. The passion for writing now takes Javed into a world outside the family values and outside the reach of neighborhood hate-mongers so that he finally leaves “home” and becomes the man he wants to be.

In one defining moment during which Javed’s father demands respect for the traditions and values ― or leave, Javed takes the threat to heart and leaves the family home, boldly setting out to search for his treasure, which initially deepens the tension between mother and dad. Even though Javed still lacks the self-confidence to showcase his own talent, he encounters several mentors who support his journey. At school, he discovers a teacher, Ms. Clay (Hayley Atwell), who inspires without condescending to him. He finds a girl Eliza (Nell Williams) to set his pulse racing and share his dreams. In Roops (Aaron Phagura), he finds a friend and ally who knows just what Javed is missing, a cassette of Born in the USA ― and lets the music work its magic. 

In the end, Javed’s father is finally able to move past his own pain and see his son for who he has become, a gifted writer, thus bringing the family together in honor of his achievements.

Psychological Implications

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
                                               ― Joseph Campbell

Blinded by The Light is billed as a comedy, but it is far more. The interactions between Javed, our hero, and his traditionalist father illustrate the depth of the tension in the polarized family emotional dynamics. It also illustrates Javed’s inner drive out of a state of dependency to manifest his passion.

As Joseph Campbell’s work points out, heroes and heroines in myths and fairytales help us identify with the change in others. hey are filled with imaginary companions, allies, and guides who leave home and go into the wilderness. This symbolizes the first movement in the process of individuation, out of the comfort zone, and a step into the unknown.

Today, sadly, other than graduation and getting a driver’s license, we don’t engage in many rituals that mentor or help young people come of age.

In Blinded by the Light, Javed’s story shows us that one should not travel this archetypal journey alone. We need the help of mentors and wise ones who have been there before us and can show us the way. In this film, the call to departure comes from the inspirational music of Bruce Springsteen whose melodies themselves become Javed’s “mentor,” his jumping-off place to dare leave home ― to dare to push past his father’s stuck mindset. Javed is driven by an inner song, an inner force, one that is inherent in all of us.

Typically, an archetypal journey pushes us to learn about the unknown, alien aspects of the self, duality of thinking, perpetual conflict of the splits ― good and evil, the dark side, the light side, a good cause. In Blinded by the Light, Home is represented by the fixed mind-set and cultural dualities of thinking: right, wrong, good, bad, “my way or the highway,” and the well-meaning but clueless smothering of an over-involved, controlling Dad.

Blinded by the Light offers a jumping off place so clients can learn to look more deeply at their own lives through the Joseph Campbell lens. They can also learn how to recognize a call to “follow your passion” despite the obstacles, etc. Campbell spelled out the many challenges within the stages of leaving, learning, and returning. We watch Javed travel this journey which results in a stronger sense of who he is and what he can do in life. Campbell called the familiar story type, The Hero’s Journey.

Charlyne Gelt, Ph.D. (PSY22909) is a clinical psychologist who practices in Encino. She leads Women's Empowerment Groups that help women learn the tools to move beyond self-destructive relationship patterns. She may be reached at 818.501.4123 or cgelt@earthlink.net. Her office address is 16055 Ventura Blvd. #1129 Encino, CA 91436.