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AUDIOVISUAL REVIEW |
The June 2003 audiovisual column included reviews of three feature-length films—About Schmidt, Iris, and Last Orders. These films focused on the ways older adults dealt with loss and grief. This column will include several brief reviews of additional feature-length films (1996–2002) that incorporate themes relevant to gerontologists. Two points need to be highlighted. First, the films reviewed are about elders whose characters are realized convincingly in the films—through the combination of screenplay, direction, and acting. The "reel images" of the title of this column pertain to the real images, or realistic images, of aging in the films. These elders are portrayed as integral members of families and communities; they contribute to meaningful intergenerational relationships; they face the challenges of adaptation, role loss, and role reversals; they are often sources of mentoring, wisdom, and creativity; and they struggle with anxieties relating to advancing frailty, loss of independence, and isolation and loneliness. Images of aging in these films are diverse, believable, affirming, and transformative (Yahnke, 2000).
Second, almost all of the films reviewed in this column are examples of contemporary stories in international contexts, including China (two films), Taiwan, Japan, Brazil, and France. One American film is included. It appears that international cinema has not withdrawn from old age as a primary subject matter when compared with American cinema. Six of the eight feature-length films reviewed in The Gerontologist between 1999 and 2003 were from international cinema; and in a study of feature-length films (Yahnke, 2000) more than half of the films reviewed were from international sources. Why can we find such rich documentation of the aging process in international cinema rather than in American cinema? Perhaps old age does not sell in Hollywood; or perhaps independent American filmmakers are not being sufficiently encouraged to consider themes relevant to aging. Whatever the case, the films considered in this column offer gerontologists a variety of perspectives on the aging process.
The first three films depict family dramas where elders have pivotal roles in the family. The Shower focuses on the midlife crisis of a middle-aged son who returns home to face what becomes an extraordinarily difficult decision about filial responsibility and caregiving. Yi Yi compares the experiences of two generations—a father and a daughter—as they seek to uncover meaning in their lives. In that film the presence of a grandmother, who lives with the family, leads to some unexpected insights into the family dynamics. The third family drama, The Straight Story, is based on the true story of a feisty old man who made up his mind to visit an estranged brother by riding a lawnmower cross country.
The fourth film, After Life, is a fantasy about what happens to people after they die. What tasks remain for them? How are they helped to complete those tasks? The last three films highlight themes of intergeneration and regeneration of elders. The King of Masks is an historical drama about an old street performer who tries to find someone he can tutor so that his art can be carried on at least for another generation. Central Station tells the poignant story of an old woman who ekes out a living by writing letters for illiterate travelers in Rio de Janeiro's Central Station. When she befriends a young boy whose mother is killed in an accident outside the station, both set out upon a journey toward self-discovery. The last film, Être et Avoir (To Be and to Have) is a special intergenerational treat—a story of a rural French primary school teacher who is nearing retirement.
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