PRE-PRODUCTION; RESEARCH

As I have now written the first draft of the script, I am beginning to make some changes suggested to me by director Laura. I found an article that explained the things that some films covering mental health did right, as it is such a sensitive topic in the media it is always faced with heavy criticism. I wanted to summarise some of the films that showed positivity and shed light to the issue of mental illness in a perfect way.

Black Swan (2010) is a psychological film directed by Darren Aronofsky and it covers several themes of mental illness. However the film is important because it applies the issue to a certain world. The main character is a professional ballerina, she suffers with chronic hallucinations as well as an eating disorder. Eating disorders within professional dancers is an extremely common issue because it is all about the dancers wanted to achieve the somewhat unattainable and stereotypical representation of the female body. This received positive criticism because of the fact it was a specific representation of an eating disorder that was factually correct.

The Machinist (2004) is another thriller that focuses on a character that is suffering with extreme insomnia, and as a result, hallucinations too. The positive criticism that this film received was down to the accurate representation of how such illness affect the characters everyday life. Main character Trevor is a factory worker and he suffers with his hallucinations mainly at his work place. He becomes distracted and because of this one of his co-workers loses an arm in the manual work that they do and Trevor is blamed solely for this accident, leading to further alienation from his coworkers. The effects that mental health issues have upon someones life is something that isn't documented as much and the chain reaction it causes in Trevor's life is what received the best feedback from the audience and critics. The Machinist did receive some negative feedback, as Trevor managed to solve his extreme insomnia but owning up and confronting a guilty act he had previously committed, however in reality this isn't something that would cure this illness.  

A Beautiful Mind (2001) is biographical drama that documents main character John's development of paranoid schizophrenia. This is one of the films that received major positive feedback for the accurate take on mental illness. The main character is relatable for the audience, many schizophrenics are depicted in films as monsters, which John is not. He is a smart man who experiences a lot of hurt due to the illness that he cannot control. Also, there is no cure for schizophrenia, the ending of A Beautiful Mind was praised because it depicts John as living the best life he can whilst dealing with the effects, demonstrating an understanding for the character

Finally, Shutter Island (2010) is another psychological master thriller directed by Martin Scorsese. It shows the main character played by Leonardo DiCaprio as a US Marshall sent to investigate a psychiatric institution, however it is later revealed that he is a bipolar disorder sufferer who is actually part of a 'role play therapy' which allowed for his work as a US marshall. This is very different from other films that have touched upon this topic because it shows how badly people with these disorders were treated in the fifties, the poor conditions of mental facilities as well as how inhumane patients were treated.

For me writing Unspoken, I still am looking to add something to our final scene to make it different and more interesting and engaging. This research is something that can help me because i wanted to explore the different ways in which films represent mental health as an issue. As i see on many of these films they show a form of therapy, presenting a character trying to develop and get better from the illness they suffer (even if they do not know about it). Unspoken is more issue driven, presenting how it effects a young person in their everyday life and documenting their struggle to open up and accept that they are indeed suffering.