![]() ![]() Because of their spiritual beliefs, those in the Malay culture tolerated running amok despite its devastating effects on the tribe. According to Malay mythology, running amok was an involuntary behavior caused by the “hantu belian,” or evil tiger spirit entering a person's body and compelling him or her to behave violently without conscious awareness. Amok attacks involved an average of 10 victims and ended when the individual was subdued or “put down” by his fellow tribesmen, and frequently killed in the process. He described the affected individuals as behaving violently without apparent cause and indiscriminately killing or maiming villagers and animals in a frenzied attack. Captain Cook is credited with making the first outside observations and recordings of amok in the Malay tribesmen in 1770 during his around-the-world voyage. Furthermore, the belief that amok rarely occurs today is contrary to evidence that similar episodes of violent behavior are more common in modern societies than they were in the primitive cultures where amok was first observed.Īmok, or running amok, is derived from the Malay word mengamok, which means to make a furious and desperate charge. However, characterizing amok as a culture-bound syndrome ignores the fact that similar behavior has been observed in virtually all Western and Eastern cultures, having no geographical isolation. DSM-IV, 1 which is the current consensus opinion on psychiatric diagnosis, depicts amok as a cultural phenomenon that rarely occurs today. The primitive groups' geographic isolation and spiritual beliefs were thought to produce a mental illness not observed elsewhere in the world. The psychiatric literature classifies amok as a culture-bound syndrome based on its discovery 2 centuries ago in remote primitive island tribes where culture was considered the predominant factor in its pathogenesis. Although episodes of multiple homicides and suicide by individuals with presumed or known mental disorders occur with alarming regularity today, there are virtually no recent discussions in the medical literature about the recognition and treatment of these individuals before their suicidal and homicidal behavior occurs. Except for psychiatrists, few in the medical community realize that running amok is a bona fide, albeit antiquated, psychiatric condition. The term also describes the homicidal and subsequent suicidal behavior of mentally unstable individuals that results in multiple fatalities and injuries to others. And that can be dangerous.The general public and the medical profession are familiar with the term running amok, the common usage of which refers to an irrational-acting individual who causes havoc. We never know what a person really thinks or feel, because we're all masters of disguise and on the other hand unable or unwilling to find out (another) one's real feelings. What Fassbinder wants to show us, is what lies beneath the human fassade. And he does so as he always did: Emotionless. In a banal situation, when he sees that his life is not perfect at all, and unable to adjust his system to the others like he always was, he tries to make his life perfect by eliminating all disturbing factors. But watch him more carefully and you see that he's empty. ![]() You see Kurt in different allday situations, where he doesn't behave (all too) strange in a obvious way. He trys to have everything perfect in his sense, he works technically perfect like a machine, but lacks (human) ideas, or tries to cure his son's speech problems, but he always fails. ![]() She is self-assured and liberal with no clue of what to do with her life, something Kurt is unable to understand. When his wife brings a friend, we see his narrow-mindedness. When his colleagues make jokes, he walks with them, but not laughs with them. From the beginning he is simply not there, as Patrick Bateman would put it. But thanks to Fassbinder and his way of filming, we can see closer at Herr R. He has a creative job, colleagues that accept him, at home there's a beautiful wife and a nice son. At first site Kurt Raab seems to lead quite a good life. ![]()
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