The document discusses a student's investigation into the representation of mental illness in films. The student chose to analyze the films Black Swan, Shutter Island, and Psycho. They provide brief plot summaries for Black Swan, about a ballerina whose pursuit of perfection takes a dark turn, and Shutter Island, about a US Marshal investigating a disappearance at a hospital for the criminally insane. The student plans to research the directors of the films, any influences, and do a deeper analysis by breaking down key scenes.

1. INVESTIGATION: Film construction and the representation of mental illness

2. An idea or theory containing various conceptual elements, typically one considered to be subjective and not based on empirical evidence. Now I know what a construct is I can start to breakdown my statement and start my investigation. What is a construct?

3. What is a mental illness? A Mental Illness any disease of the mind: The psychological state of someone who has emotional or behavioural problems serious enough to require psychiatric intervention.

4. Why I chose my topic? I decided to investigate into my chosen topic because (apart from the fact it was Mrs Raji’s idea!) I think it will be very interesting to go into more depth and find out more about mental illness and how people let a mental illness take over their bodies, personality and life's. I also love two of my chosen films so to study them would be amazing.

5. Focus films Black Swan (2010) – Darren Aronofsky Psycho (1960) – Alfred Hitchcock Shutter Island (2010) – Martin Scorsese

6. Key Scenes in my chosen films. Black Swan, Shutter Island and Psycho

7. Black Swan Key Scenes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIKoPpIF2pA&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQCYyq34RpY&NR=1 Shutter Island Key Scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-i_tKVDP4Y&feature=related I have yet to watch Psycho so I have not seen the Key Scenes.

8. About Black swan The main character Nina is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life revolves around dance. Nina lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica who has full control over her. When the director of the New York City baller company Thomas Leroy, decides to replace the prima ballerina Beth, his first choice was Nina. But Nina has got competition, a new dancer called Lily who also impresses Leroy. Swan Lake requires one person to act out two parts, the white swan and the black swan. Nina fits the white swan perfectly but is too much of a perfectionist to play the part of the black swan as Leroy wanted. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted relationship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side – a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

9. About Shutter island It's 1954, and up-and-coming U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Boston's Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital. He's been pushing for an assignment on the island for personal reasons, but before long he wonders whether he hasn't been brought there as part of a twisted plot by hospital doctors whose radical treatments range from unethical to illegal to downright sinister. Teddy's shrewd investigating skills soon provide a promising lead, but the hospital refuses him access to records he suspects would break the case wide open. As a hurricane cuts off communication with the mainland, more dangerous criminals "escape" in the confusion, and the puzzling, improbable clues multiply, Teddy begins to doubt everything - his memory, his partner, even his own sanity.

10. About psycho

11. What I plan to do next is: -research into my directors -research if there was any influences -break down my chosen films