The Full Treatment (1960) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The accident caused Alan severe psychological trauma that manifested as violent impulses toward his wife. Dr. Prade determined that Alan had developed a belief that he had actually killed Denise during the crash, and his mind was reliving that traumatic moment repeatedly. This twisted mental state transformed his guilt and fear into actual violent urges.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, Alan's mood swings and emotional struggles are shown after their physical recovery, hinting at deeper psychological damage.

• alan colby
• violent impulses
• car accident
• psychological trauma
• dr prade

Dr. Prade proposed a regression therapy that would return Alan to the moment of the accident, attempting to confront and resolve the traumatic memory he believed was causing his violent fantasies. The therapy aimed to prove to Alan that Denise survived the crash, thereby eliminating his belief that he had already killed her.

• regression therapy
• dr prade
• psychiatric treatment
• trauma
• accident memory

Denise did not actually disappear. Dr. Prade had deceived her into taking a holiday by telling her Alan was receiving intensive psychiatric care, when in reality he was manipulating both of them. Alan discovered Denise and Prade together on a yacht in southern France, leading him to believe they were conspiring against him.

Foreshadowing: Dr. Prade's repeated involvement in their marriage and his secret meetings with Denise planted the seeds of his deception.

• denise disappearance
• dr prade deception
• yacht
• conspiracy

Dr. Prade deliberately left clues in Alan's apartment that resembled his detailed murder fantasies, strangulation and dismemberment, which led Alan and Prade to suspect that Alan might have killed Denise during a psychotic episode. This was a manipulation designed to confuse Alan about his own sanity.

Foreshadowing: Alan's therapy sessions revealed graphic fantasies about killing Denise, which Prade later used against him.

• murder clues
• alan fantasies
• psychological manipulation
• fake evidence

After many therapy sessions, Dr. Prade told Alan that his violent fantasies stemmed from believing he had already killed Denise in the accident. When Alan accepted this explanation, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief and believed himself cured. However, this apparent recovery was fragile and potentially deceptive, as the film suggests Prade may have been manipulating him.

• alan cure
• therapy success
• mental recovery
• relief
• false recovery

Dr. Prade was in love with Denise. His manipulations were designed to undermine Alan's sanity and remove Alan from the picture so he could be with Denise. He staged his own cat's murder to make Alan believe he was capable of killing Denise, and he deceived both spouses to pursue his romantic intentions.

Foreshadowing: Denise confided in Dr. Prade about her marital problems during their vacation, which seemed to ignite his interest beyond professional boundaries.

• dr prade love
• denise
• manipulation
• jealousy
• selfish motives

After Denise discovered evidence of Prade's manipulations, including the staged cat killing, Prade attempted to escape using an old gondola lift. The cable snapped, causing him to fall to his death. This occurred as he tried to flee from the consequences of his deception.

• prade death
• gondola lift
• accident
• fall
• escape

Alan believed that Dr. Prade and Denise were conspiring against him after spotting them together on a yacht. Convinced of their betrayal and fueled by paranoia from his unstable mental state, Alan went to Prade's house armed with a gun to confront them about the deception.

Foreshadowing: Alan's earlier discovery of the yacht meeting planted seeds of distrust.

• alan confrontation
• gun
• prade house
• paranoia
• conspiracy

Denise discovered an estimate for repairs to Prade's car and realized he had murdered his own cat to stage a scene that would make Alan believe he was responsible for Denise's disappearance. This revealed the extent of Prade's manipulation and his willingness to commit violent acts to frame Alan.

• cat murder
• staged evidence
• prade deception
• car repairs
• manipulation

Although the immediate threat from Prade was eliminated and they were reunited, the couple was deeply scarred by the ordeal. They were left with a somber feeling, haunted by the violence, deception, and psychological trauma they endured. Their relationship survived, but the experience permanently marked them.

• reunion
• scarred relationship
• aftermath
• trauma
• bittersweet ending