Enneagram and cinema

The Enneagram is an absolutely revolutionary system of knowledge that was introduced to the West by George Ivanovich Gurdjieff and then revised from an anthropological perspective first by the Bolivian anthropologist Oscar Ichazo and then from a psychological perspective by the Chilean psychiatrist Claudio Naranjo.

The Enneagram It is the result of centuries of philosophical, mathematical, and esoteric traditions and knowledge aimed at understanding the human condition; to these were then added the anthropological and psychological analyses of the twentieth century.
The result is a scheme, a geometric figure, which manages to indicate the 9 basic human personalities to which all human beings necessarily belong.

It is important to point out that people have a mix of these "types" within them, but there is undoubtedly one that prevails over the others and characterizes the personality.

Cinema and the Enneagram

To better understand "enneatypes" and their personalities, you can use a very convenient and fun tool: cinema!
Through the protagonists of important films, we can identify enneatypes: what are film characters, after all, if not a schematization of a human character?
Obviously, these simplifications should be taken for what they are: one should not expect fixed definitions but only general indications.
The Enneagram is not a game; it must be studied and understood in depth. However, through cinema, it is possible to gain an introductory idea of ​​the topic while watching nine wonderful films.

Enneatype 1

This type belongs to the instinctive intelligence center and has anger as its dominant passion and perfectionism as its cause of frustration.

In this character, anger is always an undercurrent and rarely a visible expression: rancor, resentment, fierce criticism of others in order to perfect them.

They may be indignant at spontaneity: discipline, the pursuit of perfection and a sort of morality can lead to the development of obsessive-compulsive personalities.

In cinema, we can find a similar character in the highly successful film "Chocolat," released in 2000 and directed by Lasse Hallström. The character in question is Count Reynaud, played by Alfred Molina.

Enneatype 2

Belonging to the emotional category, its distinctive traits are pride when it comes to passions and false generosity when it comes to obsessions.

At the heart of this personality is a significant trait of pride, a true self-exaltation that leads to an impulsiveness that is difficult to contain.

Eroticism is a characteristic trait of this type: they are fundamentally hedonistic, aiming for pleasure and the search for erotic love.

A character that is truly enneatype 2 is undoubtedly that of Lolita, played by Sue Lyon, in the 1962 film of the same name directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Enneatype 3

This personality also belongs to the “emotional gender” and has vanity as its dominant passion and deception and lack of authenticity as its obsession.

Their image is truly a fundamental trait: the perception of themselves through the eyes of others is a kind of obsession. They seek success and achievement.

They seek the appreciation of others by making the most of their best qualities: beauty, intelligence, charm, kindness... but there is nothing authentic, it's all artificial.

Miranda, the protagonist of “The Devil Wears Prada”, a 2006 film directed by David Frankel, played by Meryl Streep, is without a doubt an Enneatype 3.

Enneatype 4

Personality belonging to the emotional intelligence center is driven by a feeling of lack, namely envy, and the character fixation is self-frustration.

They feel misunderstood by the world, and good things only happen to others and are unattainable to them, in their view. They feel alone.

Artistic and slightly melancholic characters, they aim for love through pain because love for the Enneatype 4 is fundamental: refined, sensitive and romantic.

Frida Kahlo, played by Salma Hayek in the 2002 film “Frida,” directed by Julie Taymor, is certainly a character who can fall into Enneatype 4.

Enneatype 5

This character belongs to the group of the center of mental intelligence and has avarice as its main passion and detachment as its obsession.

This enneatype is all about holding back, both internally and externally. Fearful of letting go and obsessed with achieving maximum results with minimum effort.

Greed is to be considered in an energetic, unconscious sense, it can become an inability to give, a tendency towards isolation and perpetual procrastination of every commitment.

In the 2004 film “The Consequences of Love,” directed by Paolo Sorrentino, the character of Titta, played by Toni Servillo, looks just like an Enneatype 5.

Enneatype 6

Always belonging to the “mental” category, this character is driven by fear, as a passion, and tends towards accusation as a type of cognitive fixation.

Fear can manifest itself in many ways: fear of change, fear of letting go, fear of survival, fear of love, fear of the unknown… this usually leads to states of hypervigilance and anxiety.

This character is often accompanied by an iron discipline that leads them to blame themselves, punishing themselves and imposing increasingly strict rules on themselves... this then leads them to become accusatory towards others as well.
Tony Montana, the protagonist of Brian De Palma’s famous 1983 film “Scarface,” appears to be an Enneatype 6 who has taken the path of paranoia.

Enneatype 7

The center of mental intelligence this time expresses itself with a character that is driven by the sin of gluttony, as a passion, and by fraudulence as an obsession.

Insatiable, always ready for new pleasures and explorations. Greedy, not only for food, but for everything rare and extraordinary.
He doesn't like authority, he tends to make many plans and live in a fantasy world, he helps others a lot, but he does it in order to buy affection.

In “Dead Poets Society,” a hugely successful film released in 1989 and directed by Peter Weir, the teacher played by Robin Williams is an Enneatype 7 with a thirst for freedom.

Enneatype 8

Belonging to the “instinctual category” together with types 1 and 9, this character is a victim of the passion of lust and is obsessed with revenge.

In this case, "lust" refers to a passion for excess, and it can be expressed sexually, but also in other contexts. It's a domineering, belligerent, rebellious, insensitive, and exhibitionist character.
Perhaps a little sadistic and certainly with strong narcissistic traits. This type doesn't recognize authority and is quite desensitized to pain.

Walt Kowalski, the character played by Clint Eastwood in the 2008 film “Gran Torino” which he directed, is undoubtedly an Enneatype 8 with a fixation on defending his territory.

Enneatype 9

The last member of the instinctual intelligence center is governed by laziness as a passion and by self-forgetfulness as a cognitive fixation.

Among the instinctive types, they are undoubtedly the most emotional: their demeanor is serene and their presence is barely noticeable. They continually adapt to their environment, and resignation is a must.
He lives in a constant attempt to defend himself through "hypnotism" systems: watching television, spending hours on the internet, browsing newspapers... in short, he avoids contact with others.

Victor, the protagonist played by Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg’s 2004 film “The Terminal,” is a perfect example of an Enneatype 9 driven by naivety and adaptability.