“No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight of the soul.” – Ingrid Bergman, actor
Anyone who has ever been moved to tears, laughter, anger or amazement by a movie will know what Bergman meant in that famous quote.
Anyone who has ever watched their favourite movie a hundredth time, mouthing every dialogue and anticipating every cherished scene, understands the power of cinema.
And increasingly, mental health professionals around the world have begun to use that power to help their patients deal with emotional and behavioural problems, relationship issues and more.
Cementing ties
For example, when counselling parents on their relationship with their children, Saras Bhaskar recommends they watch the Tamil movie Emdan Magan.
“It focusses on the relationship between father and son,” she says.
“And its central message — that respect should be based on human worth and dignity rather than one’s age or gender — is important.”
And when working with bickering couples, psychotherapist Ravi Samuel often screens the dark comedy War of the Roses starring Michael Douglas.
“Watching the movie can help them understand how two people can get into severe behavioural conflicts when marriages go wrong,” he says.
When people see films that mirror their own life experiences, it can help them understand how they feel, say the therapists.
“People identify strongly with movie characters and get emotionally involved,” says Samuel. “A single powerful scene in a movie can provide insights that are hard to come by otherwise.”
He describes how years ago, Sindhu Bhairavi helped him get through to a workaholic husband whose wife felt she was being neglected.
“I hit upon movie therapy quite by accident in that case, and realised that it was very effective,” he says.
Critical analysis
At other times, movies help put people in the observer’s seat and make them think critically about personal issues.
When working with adoptive parents on how they should talk to their child about being adopted, Bhaskar asks them to watch Kannathil Muthamittal.
“The way the child is told she’s adopted in the film is a big no-no,” comments Bhaskar. “But watching it helps parents think about what the consequences of doing it that way were, and how they would have handled it differently had it been them.”
But one doesn’t have to see a counsellor or a psychotherapist to indulge in some movie therapy.
Sometimes, all you need to do is relax on your favourite couch and put on a good DVD for emotional catharsis or simply to de-stress at the end of a long day.
Anuradha, a software professional, remembers the day she watched Autograph.
“I just had a huge fight with my mother,” she says. “I cried throughout the movie and then just went and hugged her after it ended. Sometimes, I think you just need a good cry.”
And sometimes you need a good laugh too. That’s what advertising executive Sridhar’s collection of Steve Martin comedies is for. “Sgt. Bilko, The Out-of-Towners, Bowfinger — watching them is like laughter therapy for me,” he says.
“When I’m feeling down and out or I’ve had a bad day at work, there’s nothing better.”
His collection of action movies have their own therapeutic value: “When I’m bored with life and want a little recharge, I watch mindless dishoom-dishoom action flicks.”
He adds with a grin, “Or if I’ve just had a terrible meeting with a client, I can imagine that he’s the one being bashed up!”
That’s why Anuradha loves watching Rajnikanth movies. “He does all the things we can’t do — turn the tables on the bad guys and beat them up,” she says.
And that’s why she’s a die hard Harry Potter fan too: “Witches and wizards, flying on broomsticks and casting spells — it’s the ultimate form of escapism.”
Then there are movies that inspire.
“The unselfish love of the father for his son in John Q always moves me,” says Sridhar.
“And that speech by Al Pacino on standing by your principles at all costs at the end of Scent of a Woman is just outstanding.”
Providing insight, inspiration, motivation, education, catharsis — movies do a whole lot more for you than just tell a good story.
Of course, watching movies alone isn’t going to help in cases of severe mental illness. But very often, they can be an engrossing and deeply entertaining way to feel a whole lot better.