The Usual Suspects： Verbal Symbolism

"The Usual Suspects," directed by Bryan Singer, is a neo-noir crime thriller that captivates audiences with its intricate plot and enigmatic characters. The plot revolves around a group of criminals who are brought together for a heist, only to find themselves embroiled in a much larger and more dangerous conspiracy. The narrative is cleverly structured, with the story being told through the perspective of a survivor being interrogated by a detective.

This analysis aims to explore how physical and verbal symbolism, in line with Lacan's three orders theory, is employed to manipulate the detective's imaginary order. By examining the film's narrative structure and character dynamics, we can gain a deeper understanding of how the symbolic order is utilized to deceive and control the detective's perception of reality.

Lacan's Three Orders Theory posits that there are three interconnected and mutually constitutive orders: the imaginary, the symbolic, and the real. The imaginary order pertains to the formation of the ego and the construction of one's identity through images and mirroring. It is through the imaginary order that individuals enter and develop their own imaginative worlds. The symbolic order, on the other hand, encompasses language, culture, and social norms that shape an individual's understanding of reality. It is through the symbolic order that individuals access and form their imaginary worlds. Lastly, the real order represents an unattainable and unknowable truth that exists beyond language and representation.

Even when individuals experience the same external stimuli, such as reading the same book or watching the same movie, they still create their own distinct imaginative realms. This is due to the influence of their upbringing, cultural backgrounds, and philosophical beliefs, which shape their unique imaginary orders. Each person resides within their own imaginative world. However, when this imaginative world diverges from reality (which frequently occurs), it becomes an illusion, leading to the notion that individuals live in their own illusions.

In the context of analyzing the narrator in the film, the article will delve into how the narrator （Verbal）manipulates the detective's imaginary order by exploiting the symbolic order, ultimately leading the detective to form a completely erroneous judgment of reality and inadvertently release the true culprit, Verbal.

The name "Verbal" itself carries a symbolic meaning, signifying the significance of language and verbal communication in constructing our understanding of the world. Moreover, Verbal's character in the film embodies the power of language and storytelling. He is adept at manipulation and storytelling, using his words to shape perceptions and control the narrative.

Verbal's manipulation of the detective's imaginary order primarily stems from his ability to control the symbolic order through physical and verbal language.

Verbal’s physical disadvantage

Verbal’s physical disadvantage becomes a crucial element in his manipulation of the detective’s imaginary order. As a seemingly meek and disabled individual, he strategically uses his perceived weakness to disarm those around him and gain their sympathy. This physical disadvantage allows Verbal to create an image of himself as an innocent bystander caught up in events beyond his control.

Verbal language: Manipulating Perception through Storytelling

One of the most significant instances of manipulating the detective's imaginary order occurs through storytelling. Verbal, a skilled storyteller, weaves a complex narrative that captivates both the detective and the audience. Through his storytelling, Verbal constructs a symbolic reality that aligns with his own agenda, effectively manipulating the detective's perception of the truth. This manipulation is achieved by appealing to the detective's ego, preventing him from objectively assessing the situation and instead immersing him in imaginative illusions.

Verbal begins by portraying himself as a weak individual, leading the detective to believe that he is smarter than Verbal. He then presents the detective with puzzles to solve, further reinforcing the detective's belief in his own intelligence.

The enigma of Keyser Soze

By creating the enigmatic character of Keyser Soze, Verbal uses language and storytelling to distort the detective's perception of reality. The central mystery revolves around Keyser Soze's identity, with Verbal even sharing urban legends about him in Turkey. Keyser Soze is depicted as extremely mysterious and terrifying, while Verbal's own intelligence is presented as incapable of uncovering the truth about him. The fact that Verbal himself does not know who Keyser Soze is adds to the intrigue.

Reinforce the detective's own belief

Knowing that Keaton has successfully deceived others in the past, the detective naturally assumes that Keaton could be Keyser Soze. Verbal takes advantage of this assumption. Through his narrative, Verbal presents himself as weak and foolish in the detective's symbolic world, leading the detective to believe that he is smarter than Verbal and that Verbal could easily be manipulated by Keaton. Verbal's goal is to make the detective conclude that Keaton is once again using deception to fake his own death.

To achieve this, Verbal continuously reinforces Keaton's positive image in the detective's symbolic order. Verbal knows that by continuously reinforcing Keaton's positive image, the detective's imagination will lead him to believe that Keaton is using Verbal's foolishness to fake his own death once again. Verbal describes Keaton as someone who loves his partner and associates. This positive description perfectly matches the detective's perception of Keaton as "cunning" and Verbal as “stupid”and "disabled" in his imaginative world. The detective's belief in his own intelligence is constantly reinforced, and he becomes more convinced of Keaton's cunning-man image.

Throughout the interrogation process, the detective sees what he wants to see, and his own intelligence is constantly validated. This is precisely what Verbal manipulates and controls. As mentioned earlier, each person enters a different imaginative world when hearing the same story due to their emotions and cognition influencing their perception. Verbal takes advantage of this and understands that the detective, relying on his understanding of Keaton, subjectively believes that Keaton is playing his usual "fake death" trick. Verbal follows the detective's preconceived belief and guides the story in that direction, crucially making the detective believe that this deduction is the result of his own cleverness.

Verbal not only constructs false images of himself and Keaton in the detective's imaginary order but also creates a false image of the detective himself. This manipulation of the detective's perception plays into Verbal's desire to boost the detective's ego and reinforce his identity as a smart and capable investigator. By losing himself in his ego, the detective loses his objectivity, and his judgment of reality becomes total illusions.

The detective's reliance on the symbolic order, which is shaped and controlled by physical and verbal language, becomes a tool for Keyser Söze to perpetuate his deception and maintain his dominance. Verbal's manipulation of language and symbols allows him to control the detective's thoughts and actions, ultimately serving Keyser Söze's agenda.