Beyond Psychosis: Viewing ‘Cure’ through a Durkheimian lens

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 'Cure' (1997) is widely regarded as a masterpiece of psychological horror, a chilling narrative where an enigmatic drifter hypnotises ordinary people into committing brutal murders. 

On the surface, the film seems to explore mental manipulation and individual psychosis. But from a sociological lens, especially through the lens of the French sociologist Émile Durkheim, Cure reveals much more. 

Durkheim argued that every social fact, including crime and madness, has a social cause. Following this logic, the random acts of violence in Cure are not merely personal breakdowns but symptoms of a broader societal illness.

The opening scene of Cure shows that Detective Takabe's wife (Fumie Takabe) is mentally unstable and receiving treatment from a doctor. During this scene, she is seen reading a storybook about life in the jungle. 

This moment may seem simple, but it carries a deeper meaning. It suggests that all people, regardless of how modern or civilised, still retain the instincts of early human life. In ancient times, people lived in jungles, guided by survival and instinct.

In Cure (1997), if we look closely at each character and situation, we see how society silently influences and even controls our actions. It's as if we are hypnotised daily by social rules, expectations, and pressure. This control can push people from small mistakes to serious acts like crime, murder, or suicide. Mamiya, the film's mysterious figure, symbolises society. 

He never gives clear answers and avoids questions much like society avoids facing uncomfortable truths. Throughout history, people have been punished or silenced simply for questioning authority. 

In one scene, Mamiya meets a school teacher at Shirasato Beach. He says nothing about himself, yet learns everything about the teacher and his wife. This reflects how society stays hidden while watching and judging others. 

Later, during a police inquiry, Mamiya again avoids speaking about himself and instead turns questions back onto others. When Detective Takabe tries to question him, Mamiya replies with another question. Society does the same, setting rules and expecting obedience, without explanation. It tells us what to eat, how to act, what not to say, and even what not to feel.

Mamiya hypnotises people using fire, light, and water, not random tools, but metaphors for social institutions like family, religion, education, and the workplace. These institutions shape our behaviour and beliefs subtly but powerfully. Over time, we stop asking whether our actions are right or wrong, we just follow. 

In the film, murders happen in normal places: a hotel room, a teacher's home, and a public toilet. The killers appear calm, as if doing everyday tasks. But murder is horrifying. Why do they seem unaffected? This shows how deeply society can influence people, leading them to harmful acts without guilt. Even in reality, many criminals feel no remorse because society has normalized or justified their actions. 

One key scene highlights this: Takabe says to Mamiya, "Can't you talk without your lighter?" The lighter isn't just an object; it represents the subtle tools society uses to guide and control us. Without institutions, society loses its grip. With them, it quietly shapes what we think, feel, and do just like Mamiya.

In Cure, Mamiya uses different methods to hypnotise different people depending on the situation. These are not random choices. They represent how society uses different institutions to influence different individuals. An atheist may not be affected by religion but may still be shaped by family, education, or workplace norms. 

Society, like Mamiya, chooses the most effective method for each person. This is clear in the hospital scene. Since smoking is banned there, Mamiya doesn't use fire he uses water instead. In the same way, society doesn't control everyone in the same way but still reaches everyone through various channels.

In Cure, Mamiya doesn't control people by force; he enters their minds quietly, just as society does. In one scene, he asks Takabe, "Right now, what's in your mind?" a subtle way of breaking into his thoughts. In the hospital, he tells the doctor, "I can see everything inside you." These lines show how influence works from within. Society, like Mamiya, shapes us not by command but by quietly entering our thoughts. We begin to follow its rules without even knowing its real power.

Takabe, one of the main characters, is a strong and honest detective who works hard every day. Mamiya tries to control Takabe, but he doesn't give in. This shows that society does not control everyone. Many people fight against society's rules and break free. Takabe is one of them. 

His fight with Mamiya is like fighting against society itself. At one point, Takabe talks about society and says, "We should all relax, enjoy life, and live in peace. But society is not like that! So, society is to blame… It's people like you who make my head feel like it will split open!" This shows how society's pressure can cause big problems for people.

Takabe's anger toward Mamiya represents a rejection of social norms, expectations, rules, and laws. Takabe understands that the law does not punish Mamiya because society itself creates these laws. By killing Mamiya with his own hands, Takabe shows that fighting society means challenging its false rules and unfair systems. This struggle is exhausting — as the doctor tells Takabe, he is more mentally tired than his sick wife, worn down by the pressure of society's demands.

Another way to see this is that Takabe himself may represent society at a higher level. In the film's final scene, a waiter is hypnotized by Takabe, suggesting that Takabe has become part of the social control system. This hints at how advanced levels of society or culture accept and enforce control more easily than lower levels. It shows the complex cycle of power and influence within society.

Takabe's wife is alienated from society. She cannot follow its rules or connect with other people, which leaves her mentally unstable and suffering from amnesia. This shows how important society is for individuals. Without society's structure and support, people can become lost, confused, and even violent. 

The director hints at this in the film's opening scene, where a story about the jungle shows a girl killing a king because of her alienation. Later, Mamiya tells Takabe, "Anyone who wants to meet their true self is bound to come here." This suggests that people's roots are deeply connected to society; without it, they lose their identity and stability.

The film also highlights some social stereotypes. For example, the murder of a sex worker is treated as if it is normal or less important. 

We also see a female doctor at the hospital who faces criticism from society because she is a woman in a profession often seen as unusual for her gender. However, these stereotypes can be challenged and broken if people are brave enough, like Takabe, who stands against society's unfair expectations.

The title Cure refers to healing or relief from disease. The director, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, uses this idea to suggest that society itself is like a sickness that needs curing. In an interview, Kurosawa said he chose the title with religion in mind. Just like religion, which aims to bring happiness and safety to individuals but in its extreme form can sometimes cause harm to others, society can also have a dark side. 

Mamiya, who represents society in the film, doesn't harm people randomly but targets those who make society cruel and harmful. Religion is a powerful force that influences people, and society often claims to act for the greater good. But what is truly right or wrong is something only individuals like Takabe can discover by questioning and fighting against society's rules.