Objects In The Mirror: Narcissism In Cars And Cléo From 5 To 7

An interesting trend that runs through entertainment, be it literature or film, is that it is not uncommon for writers construct stories with objectively “bad” people as the main characters. Be it people who fall into the stereotypical villain archetype, kill for sport, indulge in criminal activity, or simply have a minority mental outlook on the world, consumers are interested in reading stories by people who stray from the morally good path society wants us to stick to. But why are we drawn to such characters? What could we possibly learn from the “bad guy”? Questions like these bring to mind the questions of why evil itself is so intriguing to us. The notion of pursuing life unconstrained by the limits morality goes directly back to the idea’s discusse

d in the famous novel, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, yes, but it is also a debate that dates to time even before the publication of this work in 1885. With this in mind, it is not difficult to understand why the narcissist archetype offers so much intrigue to people. Classic and contemporary audiences have found many lessons to be learned from narcissistic characters, and it is a trope that has become a well-known, and, surprisingly, one that translates between international films with relative ease. In the sense of international cinema, those versed in the French New Wave Movement would be quick to cite Cléo from Agnès Varda’s Cléo from 5 to 7 as a cinematic narcissist. Although existing on the lighter side of egocentric, Cléo as a character does exemplify many of the traits typical of a narcissist. She presents herself early in the film as a selfish, self-centric woman who expects the people in her life to coddle her and provide her emotional support in her time of what appears, initially, as an episode of hypochondriasis.

The plot on the movie revolves around her character developing into a more empathetic person due to her interactions with other people, both those a direct part of her life and not. Cléo from 5 to 7 has been compared to many other films over the past decade, but one film comparison that is rarely ever drawn is of that of Disney Pixar’s Cars. In fact, claiming that there in any similarities between these films to begin with seems somewhat outlandish. How could a children’s film about race cars hold a candle to the cinematic marvel that is a film by Varda? The answer lies within their plots and their central characters. From the moment they come on the screen, there is no denying that at the beginnings of their respective films, both Lightning McQueen and Cléo are narcissists. Before we delve further into the issue, it is important to define the condition. While “narcissist”, when describing a person, and “narcissism”, describing the mental state of mind, get tossed around enough for a person to understand what narcissism probably is, it is important to use a consistent definition of the term. So, what is narcissism?

Most people know the story of Narcissus, the man from Greek mythology who fell in love with his reflection in a pool of water. He died by this pool, too entranced with himself to get up for food and water, and as the story goes he was immortalized by having a flower named in his honor. It is his name that forms the root of the word “narcissism”, a condition that has become discussed with growing frequency over the past few centuries. According to an online article from the Encyclopedia Britannica, narcissism, identified as a mental disorder in 1898 by essayist and physician Havelock Ellis, is defined as a “pathological self-absorption” that is “characterized by an inflated self-image” and “the tendency to take others for granted or to exploit them”. A narcissist is infatuated with themselves, and because of how obsessed they are with their appearance to others, they behave as though they are perfect and expect others to share in this deluded outlook, even if that puts others into harm’s way.

Despite the negative connotations such a condition, the narcissist has made its way into literature, film, and television, and persisted over the years as a popular character trope. In fact, upon considering the narcissist as a character, many famous names come to mind, particularly in the realm of film: Patrick Bateman, from American Psycho (2000), a film which bears the same name of the 1991 classic novel it pulls its material from; Colonel Nathan Jessup from the film A Few Good Men (1992); Waldo Lydecker from Laura (1944) (“Narcissist”). Which brings us back to Cléo and Lightning McQueen.

The differences in these films, of course, are quite obvious: for one, Cars features anthropomorphic automobiles and Cléo from 5 to 7 is told with humans; Cléo from 5 to 7 is set during a time of war, while, so far as we can tell, the biggest fight in Cars is the race to see who can win the Piston Cup. But the similarities in theme and character are truly the magic of these films, and really is what puts them on the same level of comparison. Cléo from 5 to 7 and Cars are movies which follow near mirror plots. Both have moments early on which establish the central characters at the peak of their narcissism: Lightning McQueen, after his big race of the season, acts charismatic in front of the flashing cameras of the paparazzi and does whatever he can to keep the attention focused on himself, be it talking poorly of the work of his crew team or of the racing of the other cars; Cléo has a famous scene in which she is standing in front of a mirror, admiring her own beauty, which plays with the idea of “infinite regress”. In Cars, though there is never such an on the nose (or hood) moment of blatant self-absorption as Cléo admiring herself in the mirror, it is obvious McQueen’s “infinite regress” comes through the pictures and videos taken of him. In front of the camera, McQueen takes on the self-made role of a charismatic, engaging racecar who cares about his audience. The reality of the situation is that McQueen is vain and self-centered, and while he does love his audience, this love is an occupational hazard, as he treats its members selectively. He can control the parts of his identity he wants to share with others due to his “new” status in the world of racing, as it is mentioned early on that he is a rookie who came into the season “relatively unknown”.

Speaking of fame, it is worth noting that Cléo’s own success manifests itself in a way similar to McQueen’s. Throughout the movie she is recognized as a beautiful thing which men and women alike stare in wonder at as she passes them on the street, or in restaurants. Her musical team praises her work in the same sort of way that the media and McQueen’s fans praise his racing.

Although neither McQueen nor Cléo seem, initially, as characters that could redeem themselves, the central part of both of their films is that they see the error of their ways and redeem themselves from narcissism due to the involvement of others in their lives. In Cléo from 5 to 7, she encounters a variety of people: her maid, who recognizes her neediness but coddles her anyway; her lover, somewhat distant to her; her pianist and his friend; an old friend, Dorothée; and Antoine, a soldier leaving soon for the Algerian war. McQueen, along his journey, encounters the diverse residents of the town of Radiator Springs, which he finds after losing his driver and friend, Mac, on the interstate: Mater, a friendly tow truck; Sally, the motel owner; and Doc Hudson, town’s doctor and judge, to name the major residents. It is through the diverse people that Cléo and McQueen meet that they come to terms to what it means not only to abandon their narcissistic tendencies, but also the idea of living a meaningful life. In fact, the quest for a life with meaning is a driving theme in both of these films. In Cléo from 5 to 7, Cléo comes to terms with idea through the anticipation of her likely fatal diagnosis, which she uses initially to garner the sympathy of everyone in her life, but by the end of the film uses as inspiration to be more aware an involved in the world around her. As for Cars, the answer to what makes a meaningful life comes in the sense of enjoying the ride that life takes you on. This notion is further emphasized in the actual world building of Cars as well: where the movie could have become shameless promotional opportunities for NASCAR and their sponsors, the film instead creates a story that can have a clear emotional impact instead of a dependence on shaping a story around real-life products. And what powerful endings we encounter, both in Cars and Cléo from 5 to 7. Cléo’s fear of imminent death is resolved when the doctor arrives to tell her that she can be cured with a few months of chemotherapy, and she tells Antoine they have plenty of time left to spend together before he must leave for the war. McQueen throws away his opportunity to win his big race in order to allow for another character to complete his final season, stating that the trophy is “just an empty cup”.

Both characters end their arcs with moments that allow for them to shed their narcissistic tendencies and instead pursue their individual, altruistic wishes, which they each have come to terms with desiring over the course of the films. McQueen decides to settle into domestic bliss, making a comfortable home for himself among his newfound friends in Radiator Springs; Cléo opts to spend more time with Antoine, with whom she connects so quickly with, and to go by her real name, Florence (Varda).

In conclusion, the narcissist as a character exists as evidence to the human desire to want to stray from the notions of “good” and “evil”. In the context of Cléo from 5 to 7 and Cars, the narcissist archetype makes for an engaging, albeit well-trod, plot path to explore. The points of difference between Cléo and McQueen are to be expected, but the parallels between their personalities, wants, and careers are at once surprising and reflective of the personality of a narcissist. Though the objects that they often take note of in the mirror are typically themselves, through these insights, we have a better sense of why that is.