Sometimes just watching a movie is not enough in order to understand the symbolism and deeper meaning that the author is trying to portray. It can take something as simple as a friend's explanation to something as complex as numerous years of schooling to pick apart the underlying concepts. Freud and Lacan are prime examples of psychoanalysts who spent their lives trying to understand and explain why humans are the way they are. They tried to reveal concepts about the human psyche that many can not even fathom. Although both men have different views, Freud and Lacan's psychoanalytic concepts were both prevalent throughout the film "the Seven Year Itch.".
Sigmund Freud, a psychoanalyst born in the 1800's, had a very unique way of describing humanistic wants and desires. He believed most everything revolved primarily around sex and the unconscious. He used a topographical model to portray his ideas. This model was made up of the superego, ego, and id. "The superego represents the kinds of restrictions that parents and society place upon bodily drives. The ego, which develops from the id, mediates between the superego and the id and supervises and resists the id's drives. And the id includes the powerful natural and instinctual bodily urges that seek satisfaction.".
By taking these concepts and applying them to the movie "The Seven Year Itch" one notices many obvious similarities. For example Sherman's superego is in control at the beginning of the film when he drops his wife and son off to leave for the summer and he becomes disgusted by the way the other men are acting. Their id had already taken control. .
They were chasing women, planning all-nighters, and going against what they knew to be right. Sherman repeatedly said that he would not be tempted to "stray" and would do everything he was supposed to over the summer while his family was away. Sherman's superego was in complete control at this time as he had himself convinced that he was going to do the right thing.