The Pervert's Guide to Ideology Page #9

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leader, we see that

it's not a position of

an arrogant master,

who can do

whatever he wants.

It's, on the contrary, the

position of a perfect servant.

In a Stalinist universe

there definitely is

what in psychoanalytic theory

we call the 'Big Other'.

This 'Big Other' in the

Stalinist universe

has many names.

The best known of them

are the necessity of

historical progress

towards communism

or simply history.

History itself is the 'Big Other'.

History as the necessary

succession of historical stages.

A communist experiences

himself as simply

an instrument whose

function is to actualise

a historical necessity.

The people, the

mythic people -

whose instrument the

totalitarian leader is -

are never simply the actually

existing individuals,

groups of people and so on.

It's some kind of imagined

idealised point of reference

which works even when,

for example in

rebellions against

the communist rule

like in Hungary '56,

when the large majority

of actually resisting people

raises up, is opposed

to the regime.

They can still say: "No,

these are just individuals,

"they are not

the true people. "

When you are accused

of:
"My God,

"how could you have been doing

all of these horrible things?"

You could have said,

and this is the

standard Stalinist excuse:

"Of course my heart bleeds

for all the poor victims,

"I am not fully

responsible for it.

"I was only acting on

behalf of the 'Big Other'".

"As for myself, I like cats,

"small children",

whatever -

this is always part

of the iconography of

a Stalinist leader.

Lenin in Stalinism is

always presented as

someone who likes small

children and cats.

The implication being -

Lenin had to order many

killings and so on, but

his heart

was not there -

this was his duty

as instrument of

historical progress and

so on and so on.

The way to undermine

Stalinism is not simply

to make fun of the

leader which can be,

up to a point

even tolerated.

It is to undermine

this very reference,

mythic reference which

legitimises the Stalinist leader:

the people.

This is how I read

the by far best work

of Milo Forman -

his early Czech films.

Black Peter,

The Loves of a Blond,

and Firemen's Ball

where he mocks

precisely the

ordinary people.

In their daily

conformission,

stupidity, egotistic lust

and so on and so on.

It may appear that this is

something very arrogant -

but no, I think that

this is the way to

undermine the entire structure

of the Stalinist universe.

To demonstrate not that

leaders are not leaders,

they are always ready to say:

"Oh, but we are just

"ordinary people like you. "

No! That there is no

mythic people

which serves as the

ultimate legitimisation.

So what is the 'Big Other'?

This basic element of

every ideological edifice?

It has two quite

contradictory aspects.

On the one hand,

of course,

the 'Big Other' is the secret

order of things like

divine reason, fate

or whatever,

which is controlling

our destiny.

But it is maybe the least

interesting aspect

of the 'Big Other'

as the agents, which

guarantees meaning

of what we are doing.

Much more interesting

is the 'Big Other'

as the order of appearances.

Many things which

are prohibited

are not simply

prohibited but

they should not happen

for the 'Big Other'.

A supreme

example of this

agency of the 'Big Other'

as the agency of

appearance is the

prattling busybody

in David Lean's masterpiece,

Brief Encounter.

At the very beginning

of the film,

the two lovers, Celia Johnson

and Trevor Howard,

arrange for their last

meeting in a cafeteria

of a small train station.

Laura, what a lovely surprise.

Oh, Dolly.

My dear, I've been shopping

till I'm dropping.

My feet are nearly off,

and my throat's parched.

I thought of having

tea in Spindle's

but I was terrified

of losing the train.

- Oh, dear.

- This is Dr. Harvey.

- How do you do?

- Would you be a perfect dear

and get me my cup of tea?

I really don't think I could

drag my poor old bones

over to the counter.

Why is this situation

so interesting?

Because on the one hand we

cannot but experience

this annoying lady as

a brutal intruder.

- There's your train.

- Yes, I know.

Oh, aren't you coming

with us?

No, I go in the opposite

direction.

- My practice is in Churley.

- Oh, I see.

I'm a general practitioner

at the moment.

Dr. Harvey's going out

to Africa next week.

Oh, how thrilling.

Instead of the two lovers

being allowed at least their

final moments alone,

they have to maintain

the appearances

that nothing is happening

between them,

that they are just acquaintances

and so on and so on.

He'll have to run,

or he'll miss it.

He's got to get right over

to the other platform.

This precisely is the function

of the 'Big Other'.

We need for our stability,

a figure of 'Big Other'

for whom we maintain

appearances.

And I arrived at the station

with exactly half

a minute to spare.

My dear, I flew.

But are things really

as simple as that?

The next scene, the

scene of Celia Johnson

totally desperate, she knows

she will never again

see her lover.

Yes, he's a nice creature.

- You known him long?

- No, not very long.

I hardly know him

at all, really.

Well, my dear, I've always

had a passion for doctors.

Then we hear the line of

Celia Johnson's thought.

I wish I could trust you.

I wish you were

a wise, kind friend

instead of a gossiping

acquaintance I've known

casually for years and never

particularly cared for.

What is the nature of this

deadlock of Celia Johnson?

She is split between

the two figures

in the film

of the 'Big Other'.

On the one hand

it's her husband -

the ideal listener, but

it's out of question

to confess to him.

Fred.

Fred.

Dear Fred.

There's so much that

I want to say to you.

You're the only one in the

world with enough wisdom

and gentleness

to understand.

Wild horses wouldn't drag

me away from England

and home and all the

things I'm used to.

I mean, one has one's roots

after all, hasn't one?

Oh, yes, one has

one's roots.

On the other hand, you

have here this stupid

person who is available

as a confessor,

but there is not even

an elementary trust.

I wish you'd stop talking.

I wish you'd stop prying and

trying to find things out.

I wish you were dead.

No, I don't mean that.

That was silly and unkind,

but I wish you'd stop talking.

- My dear, all her hair

came out, and she said the

social life was quite,

quite horrid. Provincial, you know,

and very nouveau riche.

- Oh, Dolly.

- What's the matter, dear?

Are you feeling ill again?

So that's the tragedy

of our predicament.

In order to fully

exist as individuals

we need the fiction

of a 'Big Other'.

There must be an agency

which, as it were,

registers our predicament.

An agency where the truth of

ourselves will be inscribed,

accepted. An agency

to which to confess.

But what if there is

no such agency?

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