What is the Psychological Allure of Film?

Francisco reflects on the allure of performances of great actors such as Robert DeNiro as Travis Bickle in the film Taxi Driver or Humphrey Bogart as Dixon Steele In a Lonely Place. While most of us cannot relate to the experience of vigilante violence or the challenges of an antisocial personality disorder, we are drawn to the entertainment value of these films where we may also gain an insight into dark and violent psychological experiences from the safety of a movie theater or in our own living rooms.