I love the notion that a state-appointed psychiatrist would have a glass office at the top of the Gherkin. Such riches would be rather nice, but it lays on the imagery a bit thick. Dr Glass (David Morrissey) in his big glass office, the phallic symbol of the Gherkin, the opposing phallic symbol of Catherine Tramell's lighter - the film was a bit like a beginner's guide to symbolism. Of course, psychoanalysis is all about symbolism, so that was clearly the point.
Other than the murder, the basic plot development in the film is that a client persuades her analyst to enter into a sexual relationship. I think that does our profession a disservice. What happens in analysis is that a lot of work is done around the client's transference on to the analyst; they play out the relationship they had with one of their parents, with the analyst playing the parent. When the analyst has strong feelings triggered in return, it's called counter-transference. But counter-transference is something you overcome, or you will be struck off.
Dr Glass seemed quite accurate in the way he dealt with it at first, but gradually he lost control. People love the idea of a mind expert who can't control their own mind. Even apart from the sex in the film, they also "sexed-up" the notion of trust that is crucial in an analytic relationship - how far a client can deceive their analyst, and how far an analyst should take the confidentiality when the crime of murder is involved.
