"Psycho", "One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest", "Exorcist", despite being valuable in an artistic sense, corroborated and encouraged confusion and undermined the clarity and certainty concerning the fine line separating mental health from mental illness

TheBest · September 5, 2019, 9:33pm

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Psychiatry and movies.

A Damjanović, O Vuković, AA Jovanović and M Jasović-Gasić, Psychiatria Danubina, Jun 2009

As one of the most potent and substantial form of mass communication, film exercises a very significant influence upon the perceptions of the audience, especially in relation to mental illness issues, and that perception is very much blurred with populists' misinterpretation and lack of awareness regarding problems faced by persons suffering from mental disorders. Movies such as "Psycho", "One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest", "Exorcist", despite being valuable in an artistic sense, corroborated and encouraged confusion and undermined the clarity and certainty concerning the fine line separating mental health from mental illness. Modern film makers and movie theoreticians try to overcome these limitations which are often generated by exploitation of stereotypes and myths referring to mentally ill people. This paper defines and discusses the most frequent thematic stereotypes seen in movies which are perpetuating stigmatization of mentally ill people. They are: free-spirited rebel, maniac on a killing spree, seducer, enlightened member of society, narcissistic parasite, beastly person (stereotype of animal sort). Psychiatry and cinematography are linked inseparably not only because they creatively complement each other, but also as an opportunity of mutual influences blending into didactical categories and professional driving forces, benefiting both the filmmakers' and the psychiatrists' professions.

I like those movies
I hate those movies
They confused me
Unsure
I am only willing to confirm that I like Lord of the Rings

0 voters

Squanchy · September 5, 2019, 10:09pm

I liked those movies, although psycho wasnt my favorite.

I could understand why someone with DID would hate a movie like Split.

anon97859349 · September 5, 2019, 10:59pm

I loved The Exorcist but I am a little screwed up by it. I went to high school with the son of William Peter Blatty.

Greenmind · September 6, 2019, 4:22am

I got paranoid with one of this movies before my hospitalization. It was too strong for me and confused me

eighteyedspy23 · September 6, 2019, 5:05am

The Exorcist freaked me out pretty hard the first time I saw it in like 5th grade.
Later I saw it so many times over it wasn’t any big deal.

system · September 20, 2019, 5:05am

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"Psycho", "One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest", "Exorcist", despite being valuable in an artistic sense, corroborated and encouraged confusion and undermined the clarity and certainty concerning the fine line separating mental health from mental illness

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