Suicide and Cinema: What We Can Learn About Suicide from Movies

By Merely Me Sunday, December 11, 2011

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Even though I'm no more than a monster - don't I, too, have the right to live?

-Quote from the film Oldboy (2003)

One of my interests outside of writing is film and movies. Recently I have been collecting movies including what are considered to be classics, some independent films, and a new genre for me-Asian horror and drama. One weekend I watched three very different movies and by sheer coincidence all three films had a theme of suicide. It dawned on me after watching these movies that suicide is such a pervasive part of our humanity that this theme crosses all geographic boundaries and cultures. In this post we are going to explore some of the messages that film and movies give us about one of the most serious and potentially fatal symptoms of depression. Some of the questions we will try to answer include: Is there anything we can learn from film about the way a suicidal person thinks? Can we learn anything about cultural beliefs regarding taking one’s life. What is the healing process for those who are left behind following a loved one’s death to suicide? We will try to answer these questions and more from the framework of three vastly different movies from different cultures and film genres.

Film #1: OldBoy (2003) Korean drama with English subtitles

Basic Plot: Oh Dae-Su is a seemingly average man who is kidnapped off the street and is imprisoned in an old motel room for fifteen years. During these years he has no contact with the outside world except through watching television. Reminiscent of the classic tale of revenge, The Count of Monte Cristo, Oh Dae-Su plots his revenge on his unknown captor during his imprisonment. Oh Dae-Su is released only to find that he has five days to figure out who was behind his imprisonment and his captor’s motivation.

Notes: This is not a film for the faint hearted. The violence contained may remind you of films such as Pulp Fiction. It is one of those films you may have to watch twice to get the full impact and meaning. There are no words wasted in this film so it is vital to pay attention to all of the dialogue.

How this film depicts suicide: The movie begins with a dramatic scene where Oh Dae-Su is clutching onto a man’s tie as he is leaning backwards over the roof of a building. When the suicidal man is brought back to safety he pleads, “Even though I'm no more than a monster - don't I, too, have the right to live?” This phrase is repeated in the film as the mantra of someone who is both contemplating suicide but also life. Revenge is the central theme of this movie and how it can keep a person alive. But once that revenge is achieved there is always a pain which never goes away.

Lessons Learned:

• The suicidal person struggles with the belief that they are so horrible that they must die and the wish for forgiveness that will entitle them to life despite their transgressions. The person contemplating suicide may wonder if they deserve to live. The answer they come to may ultimately decide their fate.

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Comments (13) | Add comment

jjbgeneva

12/11/11 5:26pm

A psychiatrist I know, H. P. Langner M.D. has written an excellent book on the subject "Attachment and Suicide" subtitled "The danger of isolation." Jim

Merely Me

12/12/11 4:46pm

Hey there

I will have to check this out...I have not heard of this book until now.

Thanks for sharing!

jjbgeneva

12/21/11 10:26pm

Merely; Check it out. You won't be dissipointed. I also talk about my personal experience in my book "Journey Into Self" a psychological autobiography. Regards; Jim Blaha

Judy

12/11/11 9:20pm

"Black Swan" was a very intense movie. Natalie Portman plays a ballerina who devotes everything to the art and her mother also had been a ballerina in her younger days, so pushed her and pushed her until her mind started to deteriorate. In the end, she kills herself onstage, making her role into reality. It almost seemed like she had no other choice, no other way to escape her mental compulsions and obsessions, hallucinations and her mothers constant badgering. She had no life apart from the ballet. She was compulsively self-harming throughout the movie, which her mother would berate her for, as well. There was nothing she could do that was not criticized or critiqued in some way. It reminded me of how I've felt during some of my bad depressions - trapped. She did not have the strength to get out of this situation, she probably didn't think there was anything else she could do. I guess the lesson in this one would be to explore all your options, try to think of alternatives - and get help!

Merely Me

12/12/11 4:48pm

Hey Judy!

I have been wanting to see this movie for some time...I hear it is really good. Is it on DVD now...maybe I will just buy it.

So many movies...so little time! :>)

Thanks so much for the suggestion.

filmneye

12/12/11 7:46am

Hi MerelyMe,

I haven't commented on this site in awhile, and that's because when I have commented in the past, more often than not, I don't get any response at all, which has discouraged me from commenting.

But I'm commenting now b/c I'm a big film buff & sometime filmmaker, so I can't let this topic go by w/o responding. I have to say that, for the most part, the Cinema hasn't done a very good job at tackling the subject of Suicide in films over the years, and when it has dealt with Suicide in more than a cursory or superficial manner, it's been very few & far between.

I have seen 2 of the 3 films you cited; Oldboy happens to be one of my favorite films, not so much for its content, but more for its exhilarating filmmaking style. Oldboy is a good example of what they call "Extreme Cinema," which are films that place the main character(s) in an extraordinary or "extreme" situation, and everything is in a state of heightened reality. Oldboy is primarily a Revenge-Thriller, and I don't think Oldboy is a good example of Suicide in Film b/c the Suicide element in the film is just a plot device to "explain" the perversely twisted motivations of the demented villain in the film.

Also one of my favorite films, The Apartment is a great film that does treat the subject of Suicide with the appropriate sensitivity and thoughtfulness. The character of Fran realizes that she's just being used sexually & demeaned by her boss and feels a total sense of worthlessness, which drives her to attempt suicide. Baxter cares for her & helps her to see that she is a person of worth and helps her out of her lower depths. The scenes of her suicide attempt & the aftermath are so well-acted by Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon that you feel like you're a fly on the wall eavesdropping on their very personal conversation.

Another classic film that we never think about as dealing with the subject of Suicide and that's probably been seen by everyone in America is Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life. Suicide is dealt with head-on in this film, as James Stewart's character is contemplating jumping off the bridge feeling that his Life has been a disaster & hasn't been worth anything to anyone, so he's going to end it all. And divine intervention in the form of the angel, Clarence, shows him what the world would've been like if he hadn't been born, that his Life has truly been worth a lot to many people. Since the holiday season is a time when many people get very depressed & feel suicidal, I now understand the significance of this film being shown on TV every year at Christmas time.

However, to be frank, It's A Wonderful Life rather depresses me when I watch it b/c I can see how much George Bailey has positively touched & affected so many people in his Life, and I see how my own Life doesn't really hold a candle to what George Bailey's Life has been worth to the world. So, based on that comparison, I can't draw the same conclusion as George Bailey that I've had "A Wonderful Life." Far from it; for me, "It's A Crappy Life." Even though I love "the Movies", I'm still a Realist, and so I still get depressed over the holidays b/c of the "crappy Life" I've had. So, bah, humbug! (Yes, I've seen A Christmas Carol)

I haven't seen The Eye, but you've really peaked my interest in the film, so I'll be looking for it. Also, I'll be looking for that film "Taking Shelter" you recommended last month. I have heard about it, and look forward to seeing it.

Andrew

Merely Me

12/12/11 4:59pm

Hello Andrew!

So much to respond to. First of all I greatly appreciate you commenting and please keep it up. I am so sorry to hear that you felt that you were not responded to. I personally strive to comment on everything that comes on this site but if it is a comment perhaps to an older post...I might miss it. Not sure as well if we always get the notifications of comments and posts in the most timely manner.

Even if nobody is around for awhile to comment please don't give up. We absolutely value your input here. And we want more.

So glad to hear that you like Oldboy....when I saw it for the first time...I was in awe. Such great story telling. And you are right that suicide is not the central theme of the movie but it does play a part. Those lines from the man who jumped off the roof...they were very poignant and not easily forgotten.

The Apartment was awesome. I love Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine and they made an excellent pair in this...and the topic was treated with great sensitivity.

Yes...It's a wonderful life...I have mixed emotions about as well. It is bittersweet. I like The Bishop's Wife and also a made for TV movie called The Christmas Tree as some of my favorite holiday movies.

It is true...I am trying to think of other movies which handle the topic of suicide in a gracious manner.

Thank you for your thoughts and please do keep posting and commenting. You have a lot to offer!

Paul

12/12/11 6:08pm

I'm no film critic, and the note in Oldboy about paying attention, is tailor made for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed that movie. I was feeling sorry for the oldboy through much of the film until the confrontation. It was intense. That's all, I liked the movie.

One movie, not critically acclaimed, :) in fact whose name escapes me now, oh, Lethal Weapon, I looked it up, starred Danny Glover and Mel Gibson as two detectives and Mel Gibson, throughout most of the movie, had a scene where he put his gun in his mouth and almost pulled the trigger. Those few seconds conveyed how our beliefs can rationalize, validate, our own dark moments, for whatever reason, and come to that fatal conclusion.

Merely Me

12/12/11 6:37pm

Hey Santa!

yes indeed Oldboy is a film you may have to watch twice. It was unlike any other film I have seen.

I never watched Lethal Weapon...I will put this on my list!

And now, since you are Santa and all, you need to tell us your favorite holiday movie.

Paul

12/12/11 6:49pm

That's easy! For Santa, it is Scrooge, in most of it's iterations. The redemption of a a dark, lonely, embittered soul. All are important to me, I mean, St. Nick.

(I'm partial to watching, A Christmas Story, every year too, though I worry Ralphie's gonna shoot his eye out.)

What's your favorite, Merely Me?

Merely Me

12/13/11 7:58pm

My favorite is The Christmas Tree about a nun who gives us her friend...this huge evergreen tree for Rockefeller Center. It is very hard to find as it was a TV special and very hoaky but my absolutely favorite.

Well Santa...do you have your naughty and nice list written? Do you really give coal to the bad ones? :>)

Marishka

12/13/11 9:23pm

Hi MM,

I have not seen a movie in a theater for decades. I have not had a tv for about six years. But you know what? I miss movies!

I don't care for Hollywood movies really, unless they are very well done and happy. Mostly I like documentaries.

But I do miss tv and movies a bit lately. I only watch feel good movies though. Anything with violence, deep upsetting stuff, scary, sex stuff, I stay away from.

I like comedies too. I could use a good one right now.

Merely Me

12/14/11 10:21pm

Hey Marishka

Yes indeed going to the movies is a lot of fun. Sometimes I just go for the movie food which is bad of me.

Nowadays I don't watch much TV...if we like a series we just buy it to watch at our leisure.

I think you should treat yourself to a movie sometime.

Thanks for your comment...good to see you.