Primal Fear/Narcissism Essay

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Personality Disorder Video Essay In the film “Primal Fear”, the character Martin Vail, played by actor Richard Gere, displays clear symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), according to the criteria of the DSM-IV-TR. Richard Gere plays the part of a “big-shot” lawyer with a lot of money, and the brains to clear anyone’s name of a crime. This is clear when he first introduces himself to his client, Aaron Stampler. Martin Vail has the sense that he is smarter and above anyone around him, including his close friends, ex-girlfriend and co-workers. He also loves the feeling that he is “famous”, or admired by others. He searches only for cases that will make headline news. During this film, he exploits his ex-girlfriend to get what he wants, at the expense of her job. This shows that he is manipulative and doesn’t care about the feelings of others. Martin Vail displays multiple symptoms throughout the film that correlate with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Martin Vail is always looking for a case to take that would make headline news. His personality is the type that loves to be admired, or looked up to. This characteristic is shown in the first scene of the movie. Vail is about to leave the room when he comes back in and asks “This is a cover story, right?” By him asking this question, it shows the characteristics of a narcissist. He wants his fame. He wants everyone to know that he is the one leading the case. Later on in the movie, Vail speaks to his ex-girlfriend, Janet, further showing his need for admiration, his need to be recognized as a big-shot. He walks in asking which one is the true headline chaser; meaning which one wants a case strictly because of the headlines or because they want to show the truth. After a short while, Janet fights back saying “I don’t need a Mercedes. I don’t need to see my face on the evening news.” Vail doesn’t seem
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