John Smith
Mrs. Jenkins
ENG 1123
18 July 2019
Bipolar Disorder is Miserable
Have you ever noticed how often mental disorders are featured in movies? Mental disorders are a common theme in horror movies. One of these commonly featured disorders is Bipolar Disorder. According to Lewis and Gutenson, “Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks” (Par. 1). Annie Wilks is a middle-aged woman who “rescues” her favorite author in a snowstorm and nurses him back to health, but then holds him captive in order for him to write a novel for her. Annie from Misery is an excellent example of a person with Bipolar Disorder, and the director, Rob Reiner, further emphasizes the disorder with his use of film techniques.
One characteristic of Bipolar Disorder is extreme mood changes. According to Smith, “Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness that causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to think clearly” (Par 4). Owen Gleiberman, a film critic, also recognizes Annie’s mood swings. Gleiberman says, “Her personality is like a small series of shocks: she can slip from politeness to rage in a millisecond, and when she does you realize that the two states are virtually identical” (Par. 2). In the film, Annie portrays this characteristic in the scene where she spills soup on Paul. In this scene, Annie is feeding soup while they discuss his new book. Their conversation starts off calm and casual, but it quickly takes a turn when Annie becomes enraged over the language used in the book. She begins to rant to Paul about why the language is unnecessary and then accidentally spills the soup all over him. She then blames Paul for all that just occurred. Her quick change in tone and her irrational behavior both represent an extreme mood change that a person with Bipolar Disorder may experience. Annie’s actions show that she is a prime example of Bipolar Disorder.
The film devices and techniques in the scene where Annie spills soup on Paul help to further emphasize the extreme mood changes. One film device used in this scene is a low angle camera shot. According to Gocsik et al, a low angle shot is “shot from below the viewer’s eye level upward” (196). This creates the effect as if the viewers themselves are the ones looking up. This angle of the shot shows that Annie has power and control over Paul even though she has no control over her own emotions. Her rage is almost amplified by the use of this shot because it makes her seem so much larger and scarier that she actually is. Another film device utilized in this scene is a close-up camera shot. According to Gocsik et al, a clos-up shot is a “zoomed in shot that focuses on one specific object” (203). In this scene that object is Annie Wilkes’s face. This shot is used so that the viewer can see all the details in Annie’s many facial expressions. The viewer can easily see the moment when Annie becomes agitated. Her eyes get wider, her voice becomes louder, and she remains this way until her episode of rage is resolved. Overall, all of these techniques help to portray Annie’s disorder.
