Madness at the Movies

Understanding Mental Illness Through Film

By: James Charney MD

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

A unique exploration of how mental illness is portrayed in classic and contemporary films.

The study of classic and contemporary films can provide a powerful avenue to understand the experience of mental illness. In Madness at the Movies, James Charney, MD, a practicing psychiatrist and long-time cinephile, examines films that delve deeply into characters’ inner worlds, and he analyzes moments that help define their particular mental illness.

Based on the highly popular course that Charney taught at Yale University and the American University of Rome, Madness at the Movies introduces listeners to films that may be new to them and encourages them to view these films in an entirely new way. Through films such as Psycho, Taxi Driver, Through a Glass Darkly, Night of the Hunter, A Woman Under the Influence, Ordinary People, and As Good As It Gets, Charney covers an array of disorders, including psychosis, paranoia, psychopathy, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety. He examines how these films work to convey the essence of each illness. He also looks at how each film reflects the understanding of mental illness at the time it was released as well as the culture that shaped that understanding.

Charney explains how to observe the behaviors displayed by characters in the films, paying close attention to signs of mental illness. He demonstrates that learning to read a film can be as absorbing as watching one. By viewing these films through the lens of mental health, listeners can hone their observational skills and learn to assess the accuracy of depictions of mental illness in popular media.

©2023 James Charney (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Unique and interesting

Very enjoyable read. I have a light background in psychology, which was enough to keep me very interested. Although I’ve only seen a few of the movies, it didn’t matter or detract from my enjoyment of the book. If I now choose to see more of these movies, I will re-read the book again, as that will certainly enhance the reading experience, but as I said above, not necessary to get real pleasure from the book.
All in all, a very good read, which I recommend. And a really good reader.