| Mental illness as depicted in the cinema is rarely | | | | population. |
| reflective of reality. Who wants to pay a fiver to | | | | On the other side of the movie spectrum, Jim |
| watch the drudging melancholy of depression, the | | | | Carrey's comedic portrayal of a man suffering from |
| incoherent confusion of schizophrenia, or the sad | | | | multiple personality disorder in Me, Myself & |
| isolation of an anxiety disorder? No, we want the | | | | Irene, whilst entertaining, may also have added to |
| Michael Myers', the Travis Bickle's, the Forest Gump's | | | | the stigmatisation and misconception of mental illness. |
| and the Randal McMurphy's. Why? Because a true | | | | As well as wrongly using the terms schizophrenia and |
| depiction of these conditions wouldn't be entertaining. | | | | multiple personality disorder interchangeably, the film, |
| Fictional film characters with mental conditions | | | | like many others before it, treats the ailment as a |
| generally tend to fit into one of several extreme | | | | joke, outraging many mental health professionals. |
| stereotypes, used to either shock, amuse or | | | | A recent study by the University of Melbourne found |
| otherwise entertain us. These include the homicidal | | | | that "portrayal of mental illness in fictional films |
| psychopath (Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, and many | | | | predominantly perpetuates myths and stereotypes |
| other horror films), the rebellious free spirit (One Flew | | | | (and) there is evidence that these pervasive negative |
| Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and the schizoid loner on a | | | | portrayals can have harmful effects, perpetuating the |
| mission (Taxi Driver, The Assassination of Richard | | | | stigma associated with mental illness." |
| Nixon). | | | | Like no other art form, film has the power to |
| Unfortunately, while these films are often | | | | influence people's beliefs on a mass scale, therefore it |
| entertaining, such portrayals may be distorting the | | | | can be argued that filmmakers have a responsibility |
| film-going public's perception of mental conditions. The | | | | to present such portrayals more accurately and |
| repeated portrayal of violent psychopaths in slasher | | | | conscientiously. That said, it's important to remember |
| films undoubtedly may lead us to believe that people | | | | that cinema is fiction and does not seek to be |
| suffering from extreme mental disorders are | | | | accurate at all times, nor is it the only medium to be |
| inherently violent, whereas statistics show that such | | | | creative with the truth. |
| individuals are no more violent than the rest of the | | | | |