First I would like to thank Elrich Kline for his tireless editing and reediting of this book. It is no exaggeration to say that he went through every page with me. He also carefully watched all the movies that are analyzed in the pages that follow.
Mieke Krynauw worked with enthusiasm to respond to readers’ reports. Her careful attention both to those reports and to our response to them has made this book more accessible.
My daughter Serena Cornell watched all the movies with me and carefully wrote down the quotations from the movies because I did not know that you could get the scripts from the Internet. When I asked my daughter what her favourite Clint Eastwood movie was, she said, “the one that you did not ask me a hundred times to listen to so I could write it down.” Her actual favourite is Million Dollar Baby.
When I realized that I could get the scripts from the Internet, my goddaughter Laura Shaffer used them to recheck the quotations that my daughter had had to transcribe. This book was truly a family affair because my daughter had to then go back and check the Internet transcriptions against the transcriptions she had made.
My students Sam Fuller and Nyoko Muvangua played a crucial role in preparing the final manuscript. Their careful work has undoubtedly played a major role in ensuring a well-ordered manuscript. I am in their debt for their hard work.
Dr. Jaco Barnard-Naude and Dr. Ken Panfilio read many of the chapters and gave me comments. The book has undoubtedly been improved because of their careful insights.
Jessica Benjamin offered insightful comments from her own original work on psychoanalysis and feminism, and her recent work on psychoanalysis, retribution, and acknowledgment.
Dorothy Pietersson has been an indispensable help to me in running my daily life and always being there for my daughter. I thank her from the bottom of my heart.
Roger Berkowitz not only collaborated with me on one of the chapters but has also given me critical commentary on the entire book. I thank him not only for his comments but also for his intellectual companionship for the past fifteen years.