Lifeisnotlikeapoem

TiticutFollietsdirectedbyFrederickWiseman,documentstheinhumanetreatmentoftheinmatesbywardensandpsychiatristsatamentalhospitalinsideaMassachusettsprison.Asanaudience,whilewatchingthisfilm,Ifeltmyselflikeaspectatorfromadistance,whovictimthosepatientsstrugglinginthehopelesssituation,butcouldn’thelp.AndtheonlythingIcoulddotothisfactistoacceptit.Anywordwasnotenoughtodescribethefeelingatthattime–thenIrealizeditwasDespair.Infaceofthisreality,noones’subjectiveangercouldmakesense.Itwasthefaultofoursociety.Itwasoursocietycreatedsuchinstitutions,suchcold-bloodedwardensandpsychiatrists.Thus,Itwasthetragedyofhumanbeing,noonecouldavoid–thisisthefeelingWisemanmadethisfilmfrom.InordertomakeeveryaudiencefeelthesamedepressedasWisemanselfdid,heuseslotsofextremelywaystorevelthelifeimages.Forinstance,regardlessofpeople’sshynessandnerves,takingshotsofnudities;extremelyclosingupone’sface,andwatchingoutone’sfirstreaction,etc.Afterbreakingfreeofhim,Wisemanreinforcedeveryaudiencetoseetheprocessofcharactersexperiencingthoseawkwardhumanconditions.Forinstance,backtotheveryopening,thisfilmbeginswith5patientsdancingnervouslyonthestagewithoutanyintroductionsforthisscene.Thisfilmcameraactslikeasensitiveandsharpeyecontinuouslystaringatallthedancers,watchingouttheirfacialexpressionchangesallalong.Moreover,thereisnoprivacyforhumansinfilm.Thesesequencesbelowleftmereallydeepimpressions:everypatientbeingaskedtotakeofftheirclothesatapublicsphere;duringtheinterview,apsychiatristkeptquestioningaboutonepatient’sprivatelife,whichreferredtoone’ssexualsatisfaction,homosexualtendency…etc.ApatientnamedJim,afterbeingroughlymustachedbytwowardens,startedhisdailydancingpracticeatcornerofroomwithoutanycoverbutwearingtwoscarsmustacheleftonface.Imagesandwordsbeingusedtocomposethisfilmareabstractlyinhumane.ButIfeltWisemandiditonpurpose–afterfilm,everyaudiencewouldwakeupafterwatchingthosecrucial,cold-bloodedfilmsequences.Thenanyonecouldbreakfreeofoneandstarttothinkaboutthecauseofproblemsandtoapproachtheanswergradually.Thisfilmwasdesignedtomakeupbytwoparts:filmcomposingbyWiseman,andtheexperiencebyeveryaudience.