Film about mental illness - Movie Review Example

Film Review About Mental Illness Describe the symptoms and suggest what the probable diagnosis would be. The movie that will be reviewed is “Rain Man”. The mental illness that was tackled in the movie is autism. Raymond Babbitt is a high-functioning autistic, who is able to survive in his own impenetrable world. The movie showed the coping strategies of an autistic person when he is forced into doing something he does not like. This was shown in the scene where Charlie, Raymond’s brother was forcing Raymond to ride an airplane which Raymond has a fear of.

He responds by mindlessly screaming in the airport amidst the crowd. Raymond has a very good memory but he hardly understands the subject matter. He adheres to strict routines and he is afraid of change. He also avoids eye contact and does not develop any emotional or social attachment. The other symptom of autism which was depicted in the movie is an autism’s reaction to abrupt changes in their routine. One sees Raymond becoming disturbed and at the verge of throwing a tantrum when he could not watch “Wapner” while they were in the middle of the road.

A probable diagnosis that people might conclude upon seeing an autistic person is that he is mentally deranged. Another possible diagnosis is that of schizophrenia which is characterized by “delusions, hallucinations, incoherence and physical agitation” (Purse , par 1). 2. Discuss how the director presents the character. Does the viewer ever see the work from the patient's point of view? Is the viewer ever unclear about when the film is in realms of sanity or madness? Raymond was presented by the director as a typical autistic who is afraid of change and who would rather stick to his routines.

The director showed how autistics would behave in different situations, like when they are happy or when they are nervous and feeling threatened. The director also showed another side of an autistic person, i.e. autistics displays signs of savantism (Shah , par 2). This was shown in the part when Charlie brought Raymond to Las Vegas and used him to win at blackjack through Raymond’s counting of the cards. One thinks that the viewer sees the work more not from the patient’s point of view but rather from the point of view of Charlie, who does not understand what is going on in the mind of his brother.

The director was effective in separating the realms of sanity or madness in the film. 3. How does the film present society's attitude toward the ill person? The reaction of society before to autism was illustrated by Sanford, Raymond’s father who decided to put Raymond in Wallbrook, a mental institution. He feared that Raymond would hurt Charlie, his younger brother. Furthermore, the film presents society’s attitude toward autism through the reactions of Charlie. He does not understand why Raymond refuses to fly except via Quantas airline or why Raymond has to keep on repeating Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” skit whenever he is nervous.

Through Charlie, one can see how people not knowledgeable of autism would react. Charlie would often scream at Raymond and tells him to stop acting “like an idiot”. 4. From the opening scene to the end, are there any changes in the patient's condition or society's attitudes? (Does anyone get better? Does anyone learn anything?) There is no change in the condition of Raymond at the end of the movie. He is still autistic and still incapable to make decisions for himself. Raymond goes back to his home in Wallbrook, Cincinnati.

The change actually can be seen in Charlie who realizes that more than material wealth, there are more important things in life and that is the love and affection for his brother as manifested in his desire to have custody for Raymond. In the end, one observes that Charlie accepts the illness of his brother, realizing that it was incurable, yet he still cares for him more than the $3 million which he was first interested in. Charlie became very protective of his brother as was shown in the scene when he protected Raymond from the pressure being exerted by Dr.

Bruner, the court-appointed psychiatrist, to make a decision of whether to go with Charlie or stay at Wallbrook. Charlie’s acceptance that there is no cure for Raymond’s condition is an illustration of how society now views autism. One sees a change in the paradigms previously held by Charlie on Raymond’s situation. As more and more information and research are discovered about autism, one hopes to see a change in the way society reacts towards people with autism. Being intimate with autistics, like what happened with Charlie, will make one better appreciate the person and change his perspective about the “illness”.

A better understanding of autism will make society more sensitive to the needs of the autistic individual. Works Cited Purse, Marcia. "Schizophrenia." 30 April 2011. about.com Web site. 22 November 2011 . Shah, Sural. "Autism and savant syndrome." 9 January 2008. serendip Web site. 22 November 2011 .