Whether in the cosy darkness of a cinema or in a home cinema forum, there are films that have the power to shake the dust from negative experiences, as well as giving us a fresh perspective on the challenges life throws at us.
Just over a decade ago, a publisher asked me to write a book about cinema as a balm for the soul. Not being an expert in the seventh art, I assembled in a manual titled “Cinema Therapy: The 35 Films That Helped Me Live“.
On these pages we will look at three of them, but first let’s reflect a little on the impact that great audiovisual stories have on our mood and on how we view the world. This is so because the geniuses of the big screen have woven arguments as inspiring as the finest fables, and they push us to make the changes life brings us to live better.
The Solomon Method
“Watch this film and call me tomorrow,” Gary Solomon would tell his patients, one of the first psychotherapists to employ the healing power of cinema. Depending on the issue presented in the consultation, he offered a “cinematic prescription” for the person to reflect and find the answer for themselves.
The Solomon Method had been successfully tried in the late 1970s by Norman Cousins, who, in his iconic Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient, recounts how he overcame cancer with the help of the Marx Brothers’ comedies he watched during his convalescence.
Apparently, the improvement was so rapid and noticeable that he was discharged from hospital, among other reasons because his laughter kept the patients from resting. In addition to the Marx Brothers films – when people talk about cinema therapy, the line “It’s a Wonderful Life!” is always cited, the Frank Capra classic that television screens show every Christmas – I have chosen three other films with high therapeutic power for this article.
1. The Wizard of Oz
Released in 1939, Victor Fleming’s adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s tale tells the story of Dorothy, a girl who has always dreamed of travelling to another world.
Her wish comes true when she is swept away with her little dog Toto by a tornado, transporting her to the wondrous land of Oz. The character played by Judy Garland will embark on a thousand adventures after the Good Witch of the North advises her to follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City.
There she must meet the Wizard of Oz, the only one who can help her return home to Kansas. On the way she will meet three peculiar companions: the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. The Yellow Brick Road carries a clear message: no matter how desperate our situation, there is always a way out. But you must choose the right companions for the journey.
2. My Fair Lady
Released in 1964 under the direction of George Cukor, it is the cinematic embodiment of the famous Pygmalion effect, as well as an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s play of the same name.
It chronicles the bet between the arrogant linguist Henry Higgins and his associate to transform a humble young flower girl into a lady of high society in just six months. To achieve this, Eliza must learn to pronounce English correctly, as well as to dress and adopt the manners of the great ladies, which reminds us of the motto: “Act as if you were already what you want to be, and you’ll become it.”
However, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, would add that it is not enough to imitate what you want to be. You must live it from within, as Stanislavski proposed to embody a character. Decide who you want to be and act accordingly.
3. Groundhog Day
We jump to 1993, when Harold Ramis stunned the world with the existential comedy “Groundhog Day”, featuring an unforgettable performance by Bill Murray.
The self-centred journalist Phil Connors is sent to Punxsutawney to cover the Groundhog Day festival. On returning, he is surprised by a snowstorm that forces him to return to the small town again. When Phil wakes up the next day, he relives step by step what happened the day before. “What would you do if you were stuck somewhere and every day was the same and nothing mattered?” Connors, sour, asks, and adds: “That’s the story of my life.”
And so it repeats day after day, until the protagonist learns to address his emotional deficiencies and to enjoy the moment with all its consequences. This film not only reminds us that the only time we can truly live is the present, but that any improvement to oneself must be done here and now.
Ciertamente, no fue hasta el momento en que el protagonista se da cuenta de que su actitud agria no le conduce a ninguna parte que empieza a comprender qué es verdaderamente importante para alcanzar la felicidad. Cuando el protagonista se atreve a vivir el día con intensidad, como si no hubiera mañana –tal vez no lo haya–, es cuando se libera.
Cantaba el gran Luis Eduardo Aute: “Más cine, por favor, que todo en la vida es cine y los sueños cine son.” Al final, lo que vemos en la gran pantalla no solo sirve para pasar una buena tarde de domingo.
Aunque sean otros personajes y escenarios, las grandes historias son reflejos de nuestra propia vida. En las luchas y contradicciones de sus protagonistas vemos las nuestras propias. Cada filme es, por lo tanto, una invitación a ser los héroes de nuestra película vital.
Rediscovering Yourself
The Apartment
The brilliant Billy Wilder comedy reminds us that work isn’t everything, as well as the price to pay for not being assertive about our true responsibilities. The character played by Jack Lemmon is awakened to love: “You know, I live like Robinson Crusoe, marooned among eight million people. Then one day I saw a footprint in the sand, and there you were.”
Dersu Uzala
The only Kurosawa film made outside Japan, after a long period of depression that nearly drove him to suicide, is a healing tribute to friendship and the wisdom of nature, told through an ageing Mongolian nomad. In 1975 it won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
A True Story
Alongside its moving companion The Elephant Man, this 1999 gem features a more human David Lynch. An elderly man tries to traverse the 500 kilometres to reach a brother he has not spoken to in ten years, mounted on a lawnmower. A touching film about forgiveness and brotherhood.
Amélie
In 2001, this fable by Jean-Pierre Jeunet captivated millions with its magic and joy in helping others. One of the film’s most memorable lines is: “At least you’ll never be a vegetable, because even artichokes have hearts.”
