Sam's Trauma in Jim Sheridan’s film Brothers (2009)

Abstract

This study examines the representation of psychological trauma in Jim Sheridan’s film  Brothers  (2009) through the framework of psychoanalytic theory. Centered on the character of Sam Cahill, a U.S. Marine who returns from Afghanistan exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the film offers a compelling narrative of psychic fragmentation, relational rupture, and the struggle for reintegration. The objective of this paper is to analyze how trauma is constructed and mediated cinematically, and how psychoanalytic concepts—such as repetition compulsion (Freud, 2024), repression, disavowal, and unconscious guilt—illuminate the psychological depth of the characters and their interpersonal dynamics. 

Methodologically, the study employs a close reading of narrative structure, character development, and visual symbolism, supported by Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalytic frameworks (Forsyth, 2024). The analysis reveals that trauma in  Brothers  is not only portrayed through explicit behavioral symptoms, but also embedded in the film’s mise-en-scène, temporal disruptions, and relational tensions. The findings suggest that the film functions as a cinematic container for traumatic memory (Bion, 2023), inviting viewers into a shared affective experience that mirrors the disorientation and fragmentation of the traumatized subject (Caruth, 2022). 

The study concludes that  Brothers  contributes to trauma discourse by dramatizing the psychic cost of war and the fragile process of healing. Its implications extend to film studies, trauma theory, and psychoanalytic criticism, offering a model for interdisciplinary engagement with cinematic texts.