Toto the Hero: If you have a victim mentality, the whole world becomes your enemy

Toto the Hero was filmed in 1991 and marked its director Jaco Van Dormael's debut. It won the Caméra d'Or Award (best first feature film) at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as Best Film, Best Screenwriter, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography Awards at the European Film Awards in the same year.

The protagonist, Thomas, believes since he was a child that he and his neighbor, Alfred, were switched at birth in a mix-up when a fire broke out in the hospital. Consequently, Thomas harbors resentment towards affluent Alfred and blames him for the deaths of his family and loved ones. However, one day, he discovers that he is not the only victim.

The plot is relatively simple, yet its narrative is highly creative. The three storylines featuring Thomas's childhood, youth, and old age overlap with one another. His fantasies are incorporated in them and beneath the façade of deep realism, they are infused with elements of surrealism.

In Thomas's view, his family is unfortunate: he has a father who is a low-income pilot, an unemployed mother, and a younger brother with Down syndrome. In contrast, Alfred, who lives next door and is born on the same day as him, lives a privileged life from birth.

The film shows a stark visual contrast between their situations: on their birthday, Thomas witnesses Alfred receiving a life-size toy car that he can actually sit in and drive, while he only gets one that fits the size of his fist. Enraged, he goes to Alfred's house to tell him about the fire that happened in the hospital on the day they were born, which resulted in their identities being switched amidst the chaos. He believes he should be the one living in the grand mansion, not Alfred.

It is not definitively suggested in the film whether the fire actually happened and whether the boys’ identities were switched. My interpretation is both events likely did not happen. Instead, Thomas fabricates these scenarios to express his indignance after having experienced the unfairness of life. However, this victim mentality actually makes his life more miserable. When you believe you are a victim, you start to embody that role, and everything around you seems to pose harm to you.

Subsequently, Thomas's father dies in a plane crash, and his beloved sister Alice self-immolates to prove her love for him. Thomas attributes all these tragedies to Alfred.

When he enters adulthood, Thomas encounters a woman named Evelyn who bears a striking resemblance to Alice. However, they are considered to be in an indecent love affair because Evelyn is married. In pursuit of their happiness, they plan to elope. Just before their elopement, Evelyn disappears without a word. That is when Thomas realizes Evelyn's husband is none other than Alfred, the "enemy" who he believes "stole" his life and his first love.

After living a life full of disappointment, Thomas finally reaches old age but his hatred for Alfred is undiminished and instead grows deeper with time. He meticulously plans an assassination, but when he arrives at Alfred's doorstep with a gun, he merely points it at the man he has loathed his whole life in his pocket and utters "bang".

Alfred recognizes Thomas and warmly invites him into his house. He candidly reveals his envy for Thomas's life, his freedom, and his ability to choose his own path. Thomas is astonished to realize that the person he aspires to become is also burdened with immense misery. Thomas gets a greater shock when Alfred reveals that he knows Thomas is the one who took away his wife. It is Thomas who ruined Alfred and Evelyn's happy marriage.

At that moment, Thomas finally realizes that he is not the victim in the eyes of those around him. Instead, he is the perpetrator. His sister Alice, his lover Evelyn, and his neighbor Alfred—all suffer because of his obsession, with Alice having to sacrifice her life. Now, he comprehends that his life is not ruined by others, but by his own obsessions which also destroyed the lives of others.

The ending holds a redemptive significance: Thomas returns to Alfred's house and locks him in the kitchen. He takes on Alfred's appearance and fools Alfred's enemies into thinking he is Alfred. This time, he finally achieves the identity he has long desired—Alfred's—but with the intention of dying in his place.

Throughout Toto the Hero, Thomas's life tragedies are not caused by others; they are brought about by his own victim mentality.

The victim mentality refers to a thought pattern where individuals, in the face of setbacks and failures, tend to attribute their circumstances to uncontrollable external factors, thereby cultivating self-centeredness. It projects others or the external environment as aggressors, effectively creating an antagonistic relationship between the individual and the outside world.

The victim mentality poses many dangers. Firstly, it makes us complain about and blame external factors and avoid facing our own failures. The first step to solving problems is confronting reality head-on. Simply attributing misfortunes to external factors or other people is a way of escapism.

Secondly, the victim mentality constantly undermines us and reinforces our inferiority complex. When we see ourselves as victims, we become accustomed to placing ourselves in a weak position, which is essentially a way of admitting that we are inadequate. This provides us with excuses for not putting in effort, and ultimately robs us of the courage and determination needed to change our current circumstances.

Lastly, such a mindset prevents us from trusting others and isolates us, leading us down a path of loneliness. In Toto the Hero, Thomas never truly has a sincere friend since young; the only close relationship he has is with his brother who has Down syndrome. Due to his victim mentality, he is unwilling to trust others. He remains closed off and rejects the care and concern from colleagues about his departure or the nurses' interest in his well-being.

How you perceive yourself and the world around you determines how the world treats you. If you see yourself as a victim as Thomas does of himself, you will ultimately end up feeling as if the entire world is harming you.

If you have a victim mentality, break free from it. It is essential to becoming the master of your own destiny.