Films Illustrating Psychopathology Danny Wedding Mary Ann Boyd ...

228 Movies and Mental Illness
Alone in the Dark (1982) Suspense Ψ
A psychiatrist’s family is besieged by a psychotic
patient during a citywide blackout.
Amadeus (1984) Biography/Musical ΨΨΨ
The film opens with the court composer Salieri,
now old, mad, and suicidal, wondering if he murdered
Mozart. Salieri is obsessed with the genius
of Mozart and can never forgive his rival for his
talent or himself for his mediocrity.
Angel at My Table, An (1990) Biography
/Drama ΨΨΨΨΨ
Jean Campion’s biography of New Zealand novelist
Janet Frame, who was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia
and mistreated with electroconvulsive
therapy.
Angel Baby, An (1995) Drama ΨΨΨ
Australian film about two mentally ill people who
meet in an outpatient clinic, fall in love, and try to
face life together. Unfortunately, their lives fall
apart as a consequence of an ill-fated decision to
mutually discontinue their medication.
Angel in Red (1991) Suspense Ψ
A psychotic pimp goes gunning for his former
employee after she turns to a rival pimp for protection.
Benny & Joon (1993) Comedy ΨΨΨ
A generally sympathetic portrayal of schizophrenia,
with a vivid example of decompensation on a city
bus; the film trivializes the problem of schizophrenia
by suggesting love alone is enough to conquer
the problem.
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980)
Drama ΨΨΨΨΨ
This film, a 15-hour Fassbinder masterpiece, traces
the gradual moral and mental disintegration of a
man who leaves prison resolved to live a good life.
The film explores exploitation of women, violence,
homosexuality, and mental illness.
Betrayed (1988) Political/Thriller Ψ
Debra Winger plays an undercover agent who falls
in love with a seemingly simple farmer, actually a
right-wing, paranoid fanatic.
Betty Blue (1986) Drama ΨΨΨ
Artistic, erotic French film about two young
lovers and their passions that lead from poverty to
violence and destruction. One particularly shocking
scene depicts self-mutilation resulting from
psychosis.
Bill of Divorcement, A (1932) Comedy ΨΨ
A mentally ill man is discharged from a psychiatric
hospital and returns home to his wife and daughter.
Katharine Hepburn’s debut as a film actress.
Birdy (1984) Drama/War ΨΨΨΨ
Nicolas Cage tries to help his friend, Matthew
Modine, who is a catatonic inpatient in a military
hospital. Both men are Vietnam veterans, but
Modine’s problems seem to predate the war.
Boxing Helena (1994) Drama ΨΨ
Eminent surgeon is rebuffed by a beautiful woman.
His obsessions of her turn delusional as he captures
her and eventually amputates her arms and legs
while paradoxically fawning over her. Interesting
dynamic of his forcing the woman to be physically
dependent upon him emerging from his psychological
dependence on her. Directorial debut of
Jennifer Chambers Lynch, daughter of distinguished
filmmaker, David Lynch.
“I am still haunted by my love for
her… those dreams.”
Eerie quote by character Nick
Cavanaugh in Boxing Helena,
leaving the viewer to ponder how
much of the film is delusion,
reality, or a dream
Camille Claudel (1988) Biography ΨΨΨ
Biographical film of the mistress of Rodin, who
spent the last 30 years of her life in an asylum.
David and Lisa (1963) Drama ΨΨΨ
Story of two institutionalized teenagers who
become romantically involved. Based on a story by
psychiatrist Theodore Isaac Rubin.
Dead of Night (1945) Horror ΨΨΨΨ
Five short episodes loosely linked together. The
last of these, “The Ventriloquist’s Dummy,” stars
Michael Redgrave, who has to be hospitalized
after he becomes convinced that he and his
dummy are exchanging personalities (and, in fact,
they are).
Delusions of Grandeur (1973) Comedy Ψ
In seventeenth-century Spain, a wily servant saves
his king from the intrigues of a tax collector.
From: Wedding, D., Boyd, M.A., & Niemiec, R.M. Movies and Mental Illness: Using Films to Understand Psychopathology
© 2005 Hogrefe & Huber Publishers (www.hogrefe.com)