The film is sequenced by paralleling the five phases of mobbing: critical incident, psychological aggression, group unity, branding and expulsion (Elliot, 2009). Mobbing (2011) was originally used to describe animal behavior, but the term is now used to describe human behavior and the definition is:...an emotional aggression. It begins when an individual becomes the target of disrespectful and harmful behavior. Through innuendo, rumor and public shaming, a hostile environment is created in which an individual brings together others to participate, voluntarily or otherwise, in ongoing malicious actions to force a person out of a job. This definition refers to a workplace and even if she doesn't have a job she is subjected to the same behavior. The first phase (critical incident) is where Maléna is the most beautiful woman in the city and women become jealous since men cannot hide their attraction towards her. The second phase (psychological aggression) begins as no one will have anything to do with her anymore and false accusations will be made against her. The third phase (group unity) occurs when wars begin and the city “agrees” that she should be helped anyway. Phase four (branding) is when she realizes that no one will help her and that war is going on in Italy and she prostitutes herself to survive, she basically takes on their perception of her. The final stage (expulsion) occurs when the women of the town beat her. Giuseppe Tornatore shows in his film Maléna how communication is not only verbal but non-verbal and how cruel it can be when groupthink targets a victim: city against Maléna. Phase One The first phase begins to take place at the very beginning of the film. The critical incident is that Maléna is superior in everything she does. Not only is she naturally beautiful in face and shape, but she is a talented seamstress and makes and wears the most beautiful clothes in the city. Her long, thick hair is a contrast to the short hair styles most women wear, and most women wear dark, sloppy clothing that is virtually shapeless. She is polite and respectful and keeps to herself when she comes into town not only to take care of her father who lives alone, but also to look for a job. As she leaves the work office, the townspeople know that no one will hire her. Due to malicious gossip, the citizens suspect her because she remains silent.