|
This film is literally required viewing in an area medical school. I watched it two years ago in a graduate class that centered on suffering and the human condition. Obviously, the theme of going into suffering with one's eyes wide open is not new (i.e. A Grief Observed) but Wit's modern take was/is fresh for those unaccustomed. You'll never be able to hear "Death be not proud" in the same way, again. Since I work in a hospital, I see the various coping strategies of those sick and dying and Vivian's approach is one of the hardest to "break through" to. She's brilliant, she knows what's happening, she's emotionally distant, and ultimately alone. She is someone we would say has "few supportive communities" but would epitomize society's view of "how" someone should suffer (i.e. privately, stoically, and without putting up a fuss). She eventually realizes that intellectualism can't defeat suffering, which is a very sobering and painful process. It's hard for me to watch because it would have been my approach, too, if I hadn't gone into my profession. It's not until she shares a popsicle with a nurse that she realizes that genuine human connection has the power to mitigate suffering. Health care professionals (and clergy) that have been doing it for awhile know this but it's hard to learn second-hand. The doctor's various approaches, both Lloyd's character and the younger Dr., I've found to be typical of new residents more so than experienced attending docs. The younger Dr, especially, loves studying disease and sees the beauty in it. Of course, he also completely misses the point because his zeal for research makes him miss the role of caregiver to the dying person in front of him. The scene toward the end (1:13) when it's apparent she won't survive and needs pain control is priceless because I've seen docs that are honest-to-god that removed from reality. However, it's because doctors are as uncomfortable with suffering/death as the patient. The film is excellent for its tightness and method, the acting is brilliant (Emma Thompson is wonderful), the script is top-notch and it's authentic enough it could be a case study. It opens a window into actual suffering, rather than the sanitized version of it we often see in film/TV.
|
#
¿
Jul 6, 2014 03:57
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 17, 2024 14:13 |
|