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Essay / How Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is Portrayed in Martin Scorsese's Film, The Aviator 5Analysis of compliance with DSM-5 criteriaReflectionAlthough mental illness has a high prevalence rate, the prevalence rate of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders is relatively low. Because media, such as movies and television shows, are the public's greatest informants today, characterizations of the mentally ill, such as those suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder or a related disorder, can create or negate stigma and stereotypes. In an effort to reduce the stigma surrounding mental disorders and encourage the mentally ill to seek help, depictions of the mentally ill in visual media should be evaluated to ensure accurate portrayals. The Aviator is one of those films that characterizes mental illness, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder. The main character, Howard Hughes, is analyzed to determine whether he meets the criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder and whether his portrayal destigmatizes or further stigmatizes mental illness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Although the lifetime prevalence of any mental disorder is 50% and the one-year prevalence is 25%, the prevalence of different mental illnesses varies within these statistics (Sue, Sue, Sue, Sue, 2013). For example, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), characterized by anxiety-producing obsessions and anxiety-reducing compulsions, has a one-year prevalence of 1% among U.S. adults, an estimated 2.2 million of people (“Facts and statistics”). "). Approximately 50.6% of these cases are classified as serious, with the average age of symptom onset being 19 years (“Adult Obsessive Compulsive Disorder”). According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the disorder classification that obsessive-compulsive disorder belongs to, anxiety disorders, is the most common mental disorder in America. Those with an anxiety disorder are also 6 times more likely to be hospitalized for a psychiatric illness. Anxiety disorders may be comorbid with bipolar disorder, eating disorders, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorders, substance abuse, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults , body dysmorphic disorder, chronic pain and fibromyalgia (“Facts & Stats”). Although obsessive-compulsive disorder has a low prevalence rate, the term "OCD" can be heard in common conversations. However, the growing recognition of this mental illness may not be entirely due to the large number of people affected by this disorder, but rather its introduction through various media forms. Although mental disorders as a whole have a high prevalence rate, the relatively low prevalence rate of OCD (lifetime prevalence of 1.6%) means that many people obtain information from the media, in especially movies and TV shows. However, consumers of digital media acquire not only all the information presented about mental disorders, but also the stigma and positive or negative associations related to the disorder. Since a community's perceptions of a mental disorder can impact the pursuit of atreatment by an affected person, in order to reduce the stigma of various mental disorders, the accuracy of the depiction of a mental disorder in media depictions of people with mental illness should be assessed in order to properly inform the public about the perception of mental illness in a destigmatizing way.Introduction to the filmSynopsisAn example of media representation of mental illness is the representation of obsessive-compulsive disorder in The Aviator. This film was directed by Martin Scorsese and was released in the United States on December 24, 2004. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Howard Hughes, Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, John C. Reilly as Noah Dietrich, and Kate Beckinsale as the role of Ava Gardner (“The Aviator (2004)”). This film is a biographical film about the life of director and aviator Howard Hughes from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s. The Aviator chronicles Howard Hughes' major achievements, such as producing the record-breaking film Hell's Angels. aviation, circumnavigating the world in record time, the flight of Hercules and the creation of Trans World Airlines, amidst his growing anxiety, fears, and constraints. The film depicts both Hughes' public life, including the public perception of him, and his private life, containing his relationships with Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner. The film had an estimated budget of $110,000,000, but only grossed $858,021 in the United States in its opening weekend. Nevertheless, The Aviator won 5 Academy Awards, 3 Golden Globes, 4 BAFTAs, 1 Screen Actors Guild Award and 1 AFI Movie of the Year (“The Aviator (2004)”). Howard Hughes was a businessman, film director, record driver, engineer and was known as one of the most financially successful people during his lifetime. Sure, many victories were evident during his career, but Howard Hughes' life wasn't always glamorous and seductive. He developed problems after problems that accompanied him as he grew up. That didn't make his life any easier. The need for everything to be perfect was an inconvenience for his workers and for himself. It started when Hughes was a young boy and gradually grew until the disease took over his life. Throughout the film, Hughes presents his illness and the obstacles he faced. Impact on critics, audiences, and audience reception The Aviator currently has 7.5 out of 10 stars on the Internet Movie Database and 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Although reviews on the Internet Movie Database have praised the film's cinematic talent and the actors' performances, a common criticism of the film is summarized in a review titled "Falling Short of Greatness…Again", which was published shortly before the film's release date in 2004. According to this reviewer, whose review is ranked as the most helpful, The Aviator does not completely satisfy audiences because the film does not seem to have a unifying theme. The author highlights the absence of a real emotional journey. The only reference to obsessive-compulsive disorder is Hughes's indulgence in "personal obsessions" ("The Aviator (2004)"). Similarly, Amazon reviewers praise the art direction and acting, marveling at the portrayal of Howard Hughes himself, rather than obsessive-compulsive disorder. The only obvious review that addresses the depiction of mental illness is a 2-star Amazon review titled “A Wonderful Life – A Mediocre Movie.” This particular review described Howard Hughes as a Jekyll and Hyde character, "paralyzed by madness at one moment...and at another moment, fighting for his company." This review has highlighted some of the discrepancies in thedepiction of obsessive-compulsive disorder in the film and called for explanations of Hughes' paranoia regarding the illness. Nevertheless, the review still states that the film is worth watching despite its 2 star rating (Ujnat). Manohla Dargis' article in the New York Times describes The Aviator as a "disappointing and hollow account of Hughes's early life" (Dargis). Although the review does not mention the depiction of obsessive-compulsive disorder, it praises the film's use of camera movements and scene cuts to depict the characters' thoughts. Roger Ebert's review, which gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, also makes no mention of obsessive-compulsive disorder, but praises the use of special effects and cinematography. Because The Aviator is a biographical film whose director is known for superb use of editing, art direction and storytelling, reviews have largely focused on the historical accuracy and cinematography, rather than the depiction of obsessive disorder. -compulsive, in the film. While the majority of critics praise the cinematography of Martin Scorsese, anyone, with or without basic knowledge of filming, can appreciate the production of The Aviator. Although there is general consensus on the cinematic success of the film, the main concern is the depiction of obsessive-compulsive disorder: how the editing attempts to explain the causes and effects of the disorder in a real and destigmatizing way, without stereotypes. In this regard, critics, such as Carlo Cavagna, claim that Scorsese "once again made a film about man against himself", implying that the film succeeded in capturing the internal struggle related to mental disorders ( Cavagna). effects editing is clearly used in an attempt to illustrate possible explanations for Howard Hughes' obsessive-compulsive disorder. The film's opening scene attempts to present an etiological view of the disorder by illustrating the social, psychological, and biological factors that may have contributed to Hughes' expression of OCD symptoms. The film begins with Howard Hughes' mother bathing him as a young boy, the first image being his use of soap, a typical and widely known association with OCD (1:50). It demonstrates aspects of social and psychological factors, such as cognitive distortions, parental control and modeling, which affect the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder. For example, Hughes' mother expresses her fear of diseases such as cholera and typhus. She creates fear by asking questions like, “Do you know what they can do to you? and declaring, “You are not safe” (2:10). She shows how to deal with these obsessive thoughts by bathing, washing, and spelling words such as "quarantine." The effects of these early experiences are shown later in the film, through parallel shots that demonstrate the increasing severity of Howard Hughes' hand-washing and spelling of words such as "quarantine" and verbal repetition of phrases. The audience is able to gain a quick etiological insight into OCD by visualizing the pairing between early learnings and later obsessive-compulsive responses to stress, thereby reducing the stereotype that mental illness is a controlled choice of 'an individual. the montage sequence is used later in the film to contrast the interactions of Howard Hughes and his competitor, Juan Trippe. A door separates the two men in each shot to show how Howard has isolated himself from the world due to his increasing distress (135:05). This montage sequence illustrateshow Hughes' symptoms impacted his life. The contrast between Trippe and Hughes also serves to give a sense of the degree to which Hughes' life changed: in his prime, Hughes was Tripp, well-dressed, confident and a serious competitor. His mental health problems contributed to his isolation and difficulties in the social and professional aspects of his life. These scenes help illustrate how pervasive a mental disorder can be. The audience knows that he would not choose to live like Hughes, undressed, urinating in bottles and unclean. This combats the stereotype that mental illness is a “choice.” Although this depiction of obsessive-compulsive disorder combats stereotypes, it will not entirely destigmatize this particular mental illness due to viewers' inability to identify with the main character, Howard Hughes.Art DirectionTwo components of art direction, the light and sound, were used in Howard Hughes' chronicle of obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the film's opening, when Howard Hughes' mother models obsessive-compulsive behaviors, the lighting is soft, dim, and amber in color. This may represent Hughes' immersive beginnings in obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The soft, warm light reflects maternal comfort and stress relief associated with carrying out compulsions. Throughout the film, light intensity and color will symbolize the omnipresence of Howard's OCD symptoms. During this initial scene, the obsessions and compulsions do not influence Howard to the extent that they influence his mother. Obsessions and compulsions are external to this stage. Throughout the middle of the film, during Hughes' success as a director, the light becomes harsh, glaring, and stark white. When he walks the red carpet after the release of Hell's Angels, the bright white flashes of cameras and journalists represent Hughes' distress (11:00 p.m.). Hughes' increasing discomfort on the red carpet is paralleled throughout the film to highlight the progression of his obsessive-compulsive disorder (54:22). During these scenes, Howard Hughes' inappropriate responses in conversations and hand-washing rituals are amplified. However, harsh white light isn't just associated with red carpet scenes; When asked to make decisions regarding aircraft design, Hughes must retreat to his car where he repeats the word "quarantine" (100:37). A burning white light, indicating the intensity of his disorder, illuminates his face. Toward the end of the film, once Hughes is isolated, his obsessive-compulsive disorder is represented by a not-quite-soft, but almost, red light. This light shows how all-encompassing Hughes' mental illness has become. Instead of flashes of light, each scene is lit red. Her obsessive-compulsive disorder affects every aspect of her life, just as the brown light represented the impact of OCD on her mother. The color red represents his feeling of needing to fulfill his compulsions and the total influence of the disorder on his life. Therefore, The Aviator uses light to record Howard Hughes' struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Soft, brown light accompanies maladaptive learning during childhood. Hard white light of increasing frequency documents his struggle with OCD symptoms, while remaining largely functional. The constant red light represents Hughes' complete capitulation to OCD, to the point where he is unable to function in all areas of his life.NarrationThe Aviator has many perspectives, one for each character andhow he or she sees and is affected by Hughes' mental illness. While these perspectives shed light on viewers' perceptions of mental illness, the news anchors' voiceovers are an interesting form of narration employed in the film. A news anchor's voice overlays the scenes and gives the audience's perception of Howard. The audience will tend to adopt the same point of view as that of the presenter; although the presenter does not comment on Hughes' expression of obsessive-compulsive behaviors, the audience's and audience's feelings toward Hughes may generalize to their feelings toward the disorder he represents. While the media is against him continuing to spend money on his film after the stock market crash and the deaths of three pilots, the public is also against him (10:00 p.m.). However, when the media supports his exit from Hell's Angels by saying, "It cost four million dollars and gives four million thrills," the audience is somewhat influenced by his character (26:20). However, the most striking point of view is that of Hughes' two lovers, Kate Hepburn and Ava Gardner. Kate Hepburn's initial support and continued relationship with Hughes, exemplified by her assurance that she will "take the wheel", contradicts the stereotype that mentally ill people cannot have healthy working relationships (51:18 ). However, this stereotype is reinforced later when Hepburn and Gardner leave Hughes and Gardner's declaration: "You're too crazy for me" (141:30). The Aviator's views encompass and describe many aspects of mental illness; however, the film attempts to use a different perspective to combat stereotypes and stigma related to mental illness and succeeds in some cases, while failing in others.Analysis of the DSM-5 CriteriaDSM-5 CriteriaThe Diagnostic Criteria and statisticsThe Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition) categorizes obsessive-compulsive and related disorders closely to anxiety disorders. Disorders related to obsessive-compulsive disorder include body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder, trichotillomania (also known as hair pulling disorder), excoriation disorder (skin picking), substance- or drug-induced obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, as well as other specified and unspecified disorders. obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, 235). Diagnostic criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder include the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions are thoughts that occur repeatedly and continuously, which the individual views as unwanted and disruptive and which are countered by other thoughts and actions that cause anxiety and distress. Compulsions are repeated actions or mental steps that the individual feels compelled to perform in response to obsessions. Repeated behaviors include hand washing, checking and ordering, or mental acts, such as praying, counting, silently repeating words. Compulsions are intended to combat anxiety and distress, even if they are not realistically linked to obsessions. Although obsessions and compulsions differ among individuals, the most common symptoms include cleaning (obsession with contamination and cleaning compulsions), symmetry (obsession with symmetry and compulsive repetition, ordering and counting), forbidden thoughts or socially undesirable (aggressive, sexual obsessions). actions, or religion and complementary compulsions), and harm (obsessions with fearto harm oneself or others and associated verification constraints) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, 235-236). The next criterion for obsessive-compulsive disorder is obsessions and/or compulsions that are time consuming (taking an hour or more per day) or that cause distress or dysfunction in social, occupational, or other functional areas. The symptoms cannot be the physiological effect of a substance or another medical condition. Finally, the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder cannot be better explained by another disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, 237). Analysis of compliance with the DSM-5 criteria The first criterion for an obsessive-compulsive disorder is the presence of obsessions and/or constraints. Although distressing, repeated thoughts can be difficult to convey in visual media, The Aviator succeeds in communicating Hughes' stressful thoughts to the audience. These obsessions are relayed by Hughes' mother's verbalization of her fear of cholera and typhus and her refusal to go to certain places due to the risk of contracting disease (4:10), furrowed brows and facial reactions Leonardo DiCaprio's stressed statements throughout the film (31:00), Hughes' statements about cleanliness, such as the statement "She has to be clean", about his planes (30:40), his explanation of avoiding “shit on people's hands” because of the cellophane on the steering wheel (37:50), his expression that he sees things that might not be there and he fears losing his mind (51:18), his indication of his inability to pass a towel in the bathroom (56:00), and his statements of paranoia (89:35, 98:07, 114:20). The presence of Howard Hughes' repetitive and distressing thoughts allows him to meet the first criterion for obsessive-compulsive disorder, the presence of obsessions and/or compulsions. However, Hughes also demonstrates compulsions, repetitive physical actions and mental processes, in response to his obsessions. His compulsions include his rigid separation of peas and meat on his plate and his refusal to eat when his food is disturbed (35:42), his repeated tracing of flat rivets (42:15), his rigorous hand washing, at point that his hand cuts and bleeds (56:00, 87:00), his clothes burned (79:21), his repetition of phrases such as "Show me all the plans" (99:41) and "I 'need to sleep' (124:50), his spelling of the words 'quarantine' and 'lama' (119:40, 130:50), his distress at investigators touching his belongings (117:07) and a fingerprint foxglove on his glass (120:35), his dictation of his actions (125:30), his counting on his fingers (130:20), his germ-free zone and using tissues to open door handles ( 138:15). , 139:09). These repeated behaviors in response to stress also meet the first criterion for obsessive-compulsive disorder. The second criterion for obsessive-compulsive disorder is that the obsessions and/or compulsions are time-consuming, at least one hour per day, or cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of life. Howard Hughes also meets this criterion. His compulsions take up so much time that his media comments on the time it takes to complete Hell's Angels, his inability to produce planes on time, and the amount of screen time devoted to the manifestation of his obsessions and compulsions. Throughout the film, and especially towards the end, Hughes is unable to function socially, professionally, and in many other aspects of his life. His relationships are disrupted by his obsessive-compulsive disorder, he puts his hand over his mouth several times to stop his repetition of sentences, and the point.
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