Merchant, Hayley J. (2012) Mind to screen : the conveyance of disordered mental states in film. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis investigates the way in which film as a specific medium is capable of
communicating a subjectivity that is troubled or otherwise compromised by
mental illness. It is traditionally held that the written word is a far more suitable
medium for communicating interiority than the medium of film, as the word is
characterised as complex, abstract and conceptual, whilst the image is
characterised as straightforward, obvious and concrete. This thesis will argue,
however, that the medium of film is entirely capable of dealing with the abstract
and conceptual, and can in fact construct extremely complex frameworks of
subjectivity due to its multitrack character. Using detailed textual analysis, I will
interrogate the way in which film utilises the multiple channels available to it
(the visual, verbal, and aural) to create complex systems of meaning.
Due to the tendency of filmmakers to appeal to literary sources for guidance
when conveying mental states, the issue of adaptation is crucial to my entry into
this discussion. My corpus primarily consists of films that are based on literary
accounts of troubled subjectivity (either biographical or fictional). My thesis will
compare and contrast filmic and literary conveyances of mental illness to
establish the symbols, metaphors and analogies that communicate complex
interiority. My key case studies are: A Scanner Darkly (dir. Richard Linklater,
2006), Clean, Shaven (dir. Lodge Kerrigan, 1993), A Beautiful Mind (dir. Ron
Howard, 2001), Fight Club (dir. David Fincher, 1999), Secret Window (dir.
David Koepp, 2004), The Hours (dir. Stephen Daldry, 2002), and A Single
Man (dir. Tom Ford, 2008).
This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by generating alternative
readings of these films that take into account the multitrack character of the
medium. These readings will highlight the specific techniques and vocabularies
that are drawn on and developed to communicate disordered interiority.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1993 Motion Pictures
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Mental illness in motion pictures
Official Date:	December 2012
Dates:	Date Event December 2012 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Film and Television Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Constable, Catherine
Extent:	xii, 397 leaves : illustrations
Language:	eng

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