Shine: still a glittering moment, or now a little bit tarnished?

Full Abstract

The representation of mental illness in the cinema has a long and varied history. Each film emerges from a cultural context and understanding of psychopathology and some landmark films have made a profound impact on the way in which psychiatric disorders are regarded by the general public. One prime example is Shine, produced in 1996 and based on the life of David Helfgott, a child musical prodigy who later developed a severe mental illness. However, although the film garnered numerous awards and public acclaim, its premises have been questioned and the explanatory model of mental illness that it promotes has been criticized. This paper examines the cultural forces that shape cinematic representations and the example of Shine in particular.

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Author information

Author/s: Welch, Mark (M);

Affiliation: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. mark.welch@ualberta.ca

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Biography; Historical Article; Journal Article

Journal: International journal of mental health nursing (Int J Ment Health Nurs), published in Australia. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jun; vol 16 (issue 3) : pp 198-202

Dates: Created 2007/05/30; Completed 2007/08/06; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 17535165, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Mental Disorders - history
Motion Pictures as Topic
Music - history

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