Psychology technique · used in 16 films
Showing a character who holds feelings down until they leak out or burst. The performance lives in what is withheld, and the release lands harder for the wait.
Examples
Frank Capra · 1934
Peter loves Ellie but will not say so. He feels unworthy while unemployed, so he turns her down and leaves. The scene works because of what he holds back.
Where to see it: New Jersey motel: Ellie confesses her love. Peter refuses, and early the next morning he drives to New York to sell his story.
David Lean · 1945
Laura and Alec say little and stay polite even when they are falling apart. What they hold back is what you notice. A held look says more than a speech would.
Where to see it: The last meeting. They sit in the refreshment room and cannot say a proper goodbye.
Fritz Lang · 1945
Chris is a timid man who hides his feelings and his painting. His anger waits for a moment when he cannot take any more.
Where to see it: The stabbing: Chris finds Kitty with Johnny, she mocks his age and appearance, and he stabs her to death.
Elia Kazan · 1961
Deanie and Bud want each other, but parents and the town have taught them that desire is shameful. The feelings do not disappear. They come out as rage, breakdowns and bad decisions that neither teenager can control.
Where to see it: Bud and Deanie break up: their parents advise them not to become more involved. After Bud tells her they should stop, Deanie snaps at her mother when asked whether she is still a virgin.
François Truffaut · 1981
Both lovers try to live normal family lives and hold their feelings down. The strain shows up as outbursts in public. Bernard cracks first, then Mathilde follows.
Where to see it: The tennis club. Mathilde collapses in public and is hospitalized with depression.
Ang Lee · 1995
Elinor hides her feelings behind manners and duty. Emma Thompson plays her with a steady face. Lee focused on body language and had Thompson practice tai chi to help her do things more simply.
Where to see it: Elinor and Lucy. Elinor stays composed and keeps Lucy's secret while her own hopes about Edward fall apart.
Kenneth Lonergan · 2000
Sammy holds her feelings down, and they leak out in bad decisions. She ends up in an affair with her new boss, and it shows how much she has been holding in.
Where to see it: The affair: After an argument over Rudy's school bus pickup, Sammy and her boss Brian start an affair even though his wife is pregnant.
Paul Thomas Anderson · 2002
Barry is polite and shy, then smashes things when his sisters get to him. The anger comes out of nowhere, and it shows how much he is holding in. You feel for him as much as you fear him.
Where to see it: The sister's party. Barry smashes the sliding glass doors after being teased.
Todd Haynes · 2002
Cathy keeps smiling while her life breaks apart. Frank hides his desires, and Raymond has to guard his words. Everyone in this town stays polite, so the pain only shows in small moments.
Where to see it: The discovery at the office. Cathy finds Frank kissing a man, and then she carries on as if nothing has happened.
Jane Campion · 2009
Keats holds back because he has no money and cannot offer Fanny a future. Fanny's mother says he knows he cannot like her. The two share their feelings in letters and lessons instead of in plain speech.
Where to see it: Poetry lessons: Keats starts giving Fanny poetry lessons and it becomes clear the attraction is mutual. Fanny is troubled that he is reluctant to pursue her.
Sofia Coppola · 2010
Johnny hides his sadness through most of the film. It comes out only after Cleo leaves, when he calls his ex-wife and breaks down. The late release lands harder because he held it for so long.
Where to see it: The phone call. Johnny calls his ex-wife and tearfully admits his inadequacies.
Lee Chang-dong · 2010
Mi-ja holds her feelings down as she is pressured to help pay the settlement. She barely says what she feels, and you read it in small actions instead.
Where to see it: The settlement: Mi-ja is pressured to pay her share and asks Mr. Kang for the money. He pays her, believing it is blackmail.
Sarah Polley · 2011
Margot and Daniel hold their feelings back for much of the film. Daniel resents her marriage but stays physically distant. The wordless pool scene says what neither of them will.
Where to see it: Wordless pool: Margot and Daniel share a wordless moment in a pool.
Joachim Trier · 2017
Thelma has been taught that her desires are sins. She keeps everything inside, and it leaks out through her body as seizures. The release comes late and hits hard.
Where to see it: Her new life: newly arrived in Oslo from a strict religious home, Thelma hides her feelings for Anja and carries deep guilt about them.
Debra Granik · 2018
Will is a veteran with PTSD who cannot say what is wrong. His feelings come out as behavior, such as leaving a safe place without warning. Ben Foster plays him with very little said, and the unsaid is where the pain sits.
Where to see it: The sudden departure. Will decides to leave the Christmas tree farm and they head toward Washington state.
Florian Zeller · 2022
Peter will not admit that his affair hurt Nicholas, and Nicholas hides how bad things are. Neither says what they feel, and you watch it build up. The calm on the surface makes the gap harder to bear.
Where to see it: Peter tries to bond: Peter tries to connect with Nicholas but will not acknowledge how deeply his cheating on Kate hurt the boy.
Questions