2. Introduction
It is quite a bold move to tackle a serious issue within a film, it is done
a lot in the industry and is often a key theme used in dramas.
However it is important to make sure that the content of your film is
not going to offend anyone or be too upsetting that it will reduce
potential audiences. Here are a list of films which revolve around
mental illnesses, and manage to portray the theme without being
disrespectful, but simultaneously depict the emotional and social
problems which mentally ill people deal with.
3. Fight Club
Fight Club is a good example of a film which uses mental illness as
an underlying factor to a film which at first looks as if its going to be
an action film. The mental illness involved is multiple personality
disorder, which is often confused with schizophrenia, the main
character turns out to have a disorder in which another character
turns out to be his other personality. This isn’t a film which deals with
the disorder in a serious light, but does include some interesting story
twists and enigma codes.
4. Girl Interrupted
This film portrays mental illness with a stronger sense of realism, it sees
a depressed young woman being moved to a mental institution
after attempting to commit suicide. She has borderline personality
disorder and befriends other women in the institution including one
pathological liar a burn victim and a sexually abused girl. This film
focuses on mental illness as opposed to having it be a background
to the main plot.
5. A Beautiful Mind
This is a film I have previously looked at for its depiction of a
schizophrenic, based on a true story, the mental illness within the film
does not become apparent until half way through with a bit of a
shock. This is cleverly done using the previous events of the film
which seems to be the case that the main character is becoming
enthralled in a conspiracy, until it is revealed he is schizophrenic
which actually makes sense. The film deals with the effects that the
illness has, not only on the subject but also on their loved ones. It is
very saddening to see his relationship with his wife being torn apart
by his illness, she is clearly distressed by losing the husband she knew
and stressed from having to care for him.
6. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
This film shows the struggle of a young man trying to keep to keep
his family stable, with no father figure he has to step in as the
breadwinner and in turn take care of his autistic younger brother.
This is a beautifully shot film which shows mental illness in a hopeful
and sympathetic light.
7. American Psycho
This film gives a bad representation of mental illness, this is a horror film
which includes elements of disturbing humour and gore. The main
character seems to have a serious mental illness which inclines him to
commit gruesome murders however at the last minute a twist suggests
that all the events that have occurred were all in his head, this changes
the mental disorder to schizophrenia. I do not think that the film is
particularly sympathetic towards mental illness, it supports the
misleading idea that mental illnesses such as schizophrenia lead to
psychopathic behaviour.
I think that films which use mental illness as the background to a less
serious plot can sometimes be unsympathetic, I think that Fight Club is
too light-hearted about severe illnesses and could be hurtful to some
people, Psycho also could give a false representation of mental illness.
However other films have proved that films involving mental illness can
be appropriately serious and very emotionally provoking.
