SPLIT MOVIE (2016) – CHARACTER ANALYSIS

The story is about child abuse that results in a suppressed personality in the main character. Split movie’s main plot revolves around a character named Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder, also called Multiple Personality Disorder. While going through a  childhood traumatic experience he is very well aware of his mental condition and he desires to get out of it. He is under an ongoing therapy process facilitated by psychiatrist Dr. Karen Fletcher. He often emails her to attend her individual counseling sessions. During this, she Identifies twenty-three distinct personalities in Kevin. Dr. Fletcher defines all the different roles played by these personalities in a case study of the main character.

Dr. Fletcher explains in Kevin’s case study that sexual and physical exploitation has made him suppressed being. He, being a victim of child abuse and exploitation wants to make this world comfortable for all going through some mental disorders. He apparently depicts his sympathy for others as he always talks about other patients when he attends sessions under Dr. Fletcher’s guidance.

Kevin is depicting the life of a person having a split in personality. The split in his personality was due to his sexual and mental exploitation when he was in his childhood. DID has been defined as a disruption in what Psychologists called Identity Formation Process. Dr. Fletcher has found twenty-four different personalities in Kevin. These personalities were playing different roles and were named as different persons. she has studied that in his mind, these personalities sit in chairs in a room, waiting for ‘Barry’, the dominant personality, to grant them their turn ‘in the light’ (in control). She has also found that Kevin’s physiology changes with each personality.

Among these personalities ‘Hedwig’ is the most suppressed personality. This split personality also depicts the main character’s childhood. When girls interact with him, they find a grown man behaving in a very childish manner. Hedwig told them that he is living in a very pathetic condition. He is considered stupid by Miss Patricia (another female personality) and also not allowed to go out in the light and talk with strangers. Casey tried to trick him to get out of the basement. At last, when she was alone she made her way to his room by sympathizing with him. In his room, she sent a message on the radio to get help from outside. After getting her message a man rescued her out of the cage.

‘Denis’ personality depicts the libido concepts as he obsessed with watching young girls naked. It is clear when he drags Claire to the next room and tries to make her dance naked. She revolts and escapes out of his clutches. It is ‘Barry’s personality that is the dominant other personalities. He regulates the working of all other personalities. He always goes to Dr. Fletcher’s house to attend sessions and talk about the behavior of other personalities. ‘The Beast’ personality is the rebellious side of Kevin’s personality. It is confirmed by Dr. Fletcher that Kevin has been going through continuous suppression and he will definitely have an outburst due to this suppression. She already knows that this outburst may be destructive for him or for people around him that is the main reason why she was denying the existence of the last personality. She intends to keep Kevin under a delusion. But she surrenders her wit when she goes to meet him in his basement.

What happens in the last scenes is very dramatic. When Dr. Fletcher is about to die, she writes the original name of Kevin that can transform him into his real personality. Casey reads his name and shouts it loudly before him while he is approaching near to kill her. The beast personality goes but comes back after some time. During this Kevin’s original personality tells him to kill him with a gun. The Beast personality has developed his skin so hard that neither the gunshot nor the knife can pierce it. He escapes and with force, he molds the cage bars to reach Casey to kill her.

At the last moment, he notices the scars on her body and realizes the pain she has been going through. He leaves her saying that she is the same as him. His last act of kindness is also the proof of his soft side that is living under continuous suppression and the proof of his affection with the people enduring the pain of torture.

Hence, the movie fulfills its aim of the depiction of the life of mentally sick people and exploration of the reasons behind the illness.