I had heard nothing of the true story on which this was based beforehand, but the opening lines indicate that this is really not a strict presentation, but a jumping off point. That's fine, because movies, in general, are very poor at rendering true events. It is really a character study, using events as a springboard.
Note: this has spoilers coming up. The movie is presented in a stark, almost documentary style. It presents us with a young woman who is torn between two worlds-the one she has known and its obligations and restrictions and comforts, and the world she is about to know, with its freedoms, and excitement and scariness. She leaves the small town for life as a young adult in a university. We see her starting out and wonder if she can cope. She gets made fun of somewhat on the first day of class, for example. But, she does cope and starts to really come into her own. Doing well in class, having friends, and a first love. But her illness comes into the fore once again, and eventually, kills any hope of independence.
Personally, I'm not religious and that may color my take, but this film seems to strongly suggest religion as folly. It doesn't beat you over the head with it, but it's there. She suffers from epilepsy, and the film mentions the prospect of psychogenic psychosis as being the cause of her delusions. The same physical abnormalities in the brain that cause epilepsy, can also cause damage to the part that senses reality, and sense of self. Someone raised in a strict religious household can easily interpret this as signs of God or the Devil or whatever. At the time, medications were pretty much hit or miss, and so it seemed cruelly hopeless to sufferers who kept getting a 'miss'. It wasn't as clearly understood then, either.
The film succeeds in showing what well meaning but clueless people can do when they yield to superstition. The main character's best friend (a beautiful friendship!) really represents the opposing view. She keeps trying to take her to a hospital and tells her these visions are due to another cause, but, alas, religion has an answer to every rational impulse. It's also interesting that her episodes occur in times of greater stress, especially her parents visiting, or being scolded by her mother.
The casting for this movie is fantastic. Every actor large and small played their role perfectly, a rare feat. From the virtuoso performance of Sandra Huller, to every side character like her character's sister. The only thing keeping this from a ten, the ending was unsettled. Too abrupt, seemed unnatural somehow.
Note: this has spoilers coming up. The movie is presented in a stark, almost documentary style. It presents us with a young woman who is torn between two worlds-the one she has known and its obligations and restrictions and comforts, and the world she is about to know, with its freedoms, and excitement and scariness. She leaves the small town for life as a young adult in a university. We see her starting out and wonder if she can cope. She gets made fun of somewhat on the first day of class, for example. But, she does cope and starts to really come into her own. Doing well in class, having friends, and a first love. But her illness comes into the fore once again, and eventually, kills any hope of independence.
Personally, I'm not religious and that may color my take, but this film seems to strongly suggest religion as folly. It doesn't beat you over the head with it, but it's there. She suffers from epilepsy, and the film mentions the prospect of psychogenic psychosis as being the cause of her delusions. The same physical abnormalities in the brain that cause epilepsy, can also cause damage to the part that senses reality, and sense of self. Someone raised in a strict religious household can easily interpret this as signs of God or the Devil or whatever. At the time, medications were pretty much hit or miss, and so it seemed cruelly hopeless to sufferers who kept getting a 'miss'. It wasn't as clearly understood then, either.
The film succeeds in showing what well meaning but clueless people can do when they yield to superstition. The main character's best friend (a beautiful friendship!) really represents the opposing view. She keeps trying to take her to a hospital and tells her these visions are due to another cause, but, alas, religion has an answer to every rational impulse. It's also interesting that her episodes occur in times of greater stress, especially her parents visiting, or being scolded by her mother.
The casting for this movie is fantastic. Every actor large and small played their role perfectly, a rare feat. From the virtuoso performance of Sandra Huller, to every side character like her character's sister. The only thing keeping this from a ten, the ending was unsettled. Too abrupt, seemed unnatural somehow.