PERILAKU AGRESIF TOKOH GERTRUDE BANISZEWSKI DALAM FILM AN AMERICAN CRIME

Abstract

Child abuse has always been a problem and thousand of kids become a victim of it. Ironically, often the perpetrators are close family members, or even their own parents. An American Crime was released in May 10 of 2008, directed by Tommy O’Haver. This drama film is based on a true story of child abuse by Gertrude Baniszewski to Sylvia Likens. The writer portraits Gertrude Baniszewski who has an aggressive behavior. Her psychological problems lead to this aggressive behavior which finally lands her, her kids and neighbor’s kids in jail. The writer uses library research methods to collect information and knowledge supporting the topic. The writer also applies methods such as intrinsic and extrinsic aspect. The intrinsic aspect analyses the naratology and cinematography. The extrinsic aspect analyses Gertrude’s behavior, based on the theory of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis. In analyzing this film the writer found that Gertrude Baniszewski’s aggressive behavior is caused by her deteriorated physical condition, accompanied by tough economic conditions and psychological problems. At the end, Gertrude is found guilty of first degree murder and after denying the charges, she blames her children. Working through the analysis, the writer shows that if an unstable natured person is pressured into a breaking point, it can change a personality quickly and trigger a destructive behavior. Gertrude Baniszewski's aggressive behavior is a result of these circumstances, which caused her to be a cruel personality character in this movie.