Sybil - An Opportunity to Showcase an Actor's Full Talent

Sybil (1976) movie poster from IMDb

  The story of Sybil throughout this mini-series, in my opinion, gave a rather accurate representation of what someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) would go through, albeit the slight dramatisation of scenes for entertainment's sake. What caught my eye in Sybil was how well the DID patient Sybil was played by Sally Field. In my opinion, playing a DID patient in a movie is no easy feat, as you have to switch between multiple roles and personalities in a blink of an eye, and that could truly show how skilled the actor is. For example, **SPOILER ALERT!!** in one of the scenes where Sybil was undergoing therapy with her therapist, Dr Wilbur, Sybil transformed into Peggy when Dr Wilbur confronted Sybil about her childhood. From the cold, monotonous, people-shy Sybil, she suddenly became this overly-aggravated, scared Peggy who could blurt out sentences as quick as Eminem rapping. Her sudden transition was captivating to watch as she executed her character's role so effortlessly and smoothly. As Sybil's character, it was also captivating to see how Sally Field could execute each of Sybil's sub personalities so well, as if she was a different person altogether, especially her role as Vickie, the matured and confident sub personality of Sybil; Vanessa, the music-loving sub personality; and Peggy, the fearful and anxious child-like sub personality. When Sally was playing these roles, I could see the dedication that was put in to bringing out the very essence of each of the sub personalities, which made Sybil's character a vessel for a diverse range of personalities. Although they are supposedly one of the same person, but Sally's representation of Sybil was distinct for each of the sub personality, that you won't get bored of watching the shift between the personalities.

  This movie reminded of a recent movie that I have watched involving a character with DID as well. In the movie Split, the story follows a guy named Kevin Wendell Crumb and how he shifts between 23 of his personalities as he communicates with girls that one of his sub personalities have abducted. Some of his particularly interesting sub personalities include Patricia, a woman who is one of the few personalities in charge of the other personalities, and Hedwig, a nine-year old boy. James McAvoy, the actor playing Kevin, portrayed his acting skills as well as Sally Field, as they were both managed to transition between sub personalities so smoothly and quickly, that the audience was left anticipating for every sub personality shifts.

Split (2016) movie poster from IMDb

  Apart from the very talented and all-rounded acting by the main actress, I like the way the movie was filmed so that Sybil's childhood was unraveled throughout her sessions with Dr Wilbur. In the beginning when the first flashback to Sybil's childhood was played, Sybil as a child was hoisted up to the air by her mother while being bounded and blindfolded by a dishcloth. It gave the audience a grasp of Sybil's abusive past, but it doesn't give too much away as Sybil's childhood was further explored as the movie progresses. That left the audience anticipating for more on what really happened to Sybil as a child. Through hypnosis in the middle of the movie that Sybil was able to reveal some of the abusive episodes she had with her mother, such as slapping and kicking. and finally through another hypnosis session at the end of the movie where she relived the full horror of the abuse that she has endured, which included having a hot water bottle full of water being forcibly pumped into her body. Daniel Petrie the director made the movie in a way that allows her sub personalities to narrate Sybil's past as well. For example, as Peggy was in her fearful episodes, she reveals to Dr Wilbur on some of the things that were used by Sybil's mother to abuse her, through her excessive fear of dishcloths and the colour purple.

  Overall, despite some moments where the film was draggy and long-winded, it was an insightful experience in fully exploring the past of DID patients, and that has certainly piqued my interest further in becoming a clinical psychologist in the future.

Schindler's List - The Compassion of an Antihero in the Horrors of War

Schindler's List movie poster from IMDb

  Steven Spielberg is an all-rounded director. And this movie is a proof of his craftsmanship.

  If not for this movie, I would have never thought that he is not only a master in making sci-fi and fantasy movies, but he also has a gift of turning a very important historical event into an impactful documentary. The three hour-length film really gave him the time he needed to bring out the horrors of World War II from the Jewish perspective, and the perspective of the man who risked his own life to save a thousand of Jews, Oskar Schindler.

  Indeed, this movie is talking about a serious subject that shook the world to its core more than half a century ago, but Spielberg has made the movie in such a way that does not seem too lighthearted and dramatic that would make the war look unreal, but also not too dry and monotonous like a typical documentary through narration. He has somehow merged the two ends of the spectrum to create a film with a the right balance of drama and narrative of the victims of World War II. To start off, Spielberg managed to bring out the cunning nature of Schindler as he cozies up to the people in the SS Army who were notorious for their extermination of Jewish people. It was interesting to watch how his relationship with top ranking officers such as Julian Scherner and Amon Göth. He showed the audience the effort and sacrifices that Schindler has put in in order to get the favouritism of the Nazi party, which serves as an added advantage in running his enamelware factory. From buying them drinks to his smooth talk, his effort paid off afterwards as both Scherner and Amon bailed him from prison after he was found kissing a Jewish girl at a party. Under normal circumstances, Schindler would be considered a horrible person for using his friendship with other people to use them for his own needs, but from the perspective of the audience, it created an us versus them scenario as the Nazis were viewed as the antagonist during the war, hence Schindler's betrayal to the Nazis were celebrated as he used the friendship of the Nazis to save the Jewish people that were working in his factory.

  Not only that, Schindler was also portrayed in the movie in a way that is a little but necessary dramatic for cinematic purposes, which is his transition from a businessman who is only interested in his business at first, to becoming a humanitarian saving the lives of over 1,500 Jews. The reason why Schindler hired Jewish workers at first was under the advice of his accountant and assistant, Itzhak Stern, as Jewish labourers costed lesser compared to Polish workers, hence Schindler hired over a thousand Jewish workers for his enamelware factory. In a pivotal moment, Spielberg made sure that the audience felt what Schindler was feeling at the moment when he watched Jewish people being slaughtered left and right by the Nazi party, from atop a hill after a casual horse ride with his wife. I could feel myself tensing up and shifting in my seat as the Nazis blew up the heads of Jews with a bullet through their heads. There were also moments where families were ripped apart and the desperate attempt of Jews to run free from the Nazis and their fatal failed attempt at escaping from the army. I think that Spielberg did a fantastic job at this as he manages to bring out the horrors of the war not only from the killings, but also what the Jewish community went through at that moment through the separation from family members and desperate attempts at hiding from the Nazis in places that are usually avoided by people, such as the sewer. At that moment, we can see Schindler finally deciding to save his Jewish workers from the same fate as the Jewish community living in the ghettos, where his cunningness and persuasiveness is finally put to a more meaningful use.

  Another proof of Spielberg's mastery of film making is his use of focus. He was a genius at making sure the film was shot entirely in black and white, to bring out the atmosphere of despair and melancholy of the war period. But suddenly, halfway through the movie, the first hint of colour appeared, which was a scene where the audience follows the attempt of a small girl in a red robe running away to find a hiding place from the Nazis. She was the only feature in the movie that has colour as she was running away from the Nazis before she was shown in black and white again when she finally found a hiding spot underneath a bed. To me, this was a way for Spielberg to show hope in a world full of despair, as colour represents hope and a bright future against the nature of despair in black and white. But later in the movie, we see the girl in the red robe among a pile of bodies outside of a concentration camp. This is where the audience's initial hope for the girl to survive the horrors of war is shattered, as even the only glimmer of hope was lost to despair. But Spielberg is only trying to portray what the Jewish people at that time were feeling when they were desperately looking for hope to cling on to as they were being shipped to concentration camps. To tie up the movie, Speilberg made sure the audience see hope return when the real Schindler Jews walked side by side with the actors playing their corresponding roles visited Oskar Schindler's grave. This scene was shot with colour, signifying a better tomorrow and future as the horrors of war were finally over and peace has returned, with the Jewish survivors continuing their lives all because of this one hero. It was a beautiful and emotional moment as even in death, Schindler will be remembered for generations to come, just like what he wanted when he told Stern at one point in the movie that he wanted to be remembered by leaving a legacy behind, which had nothing to do with saving Jews at first. This movie has brought out the empathy and humanitarian side of man who is willing to sacrifice their lives and money to save other human beings from the wrath of war.

  So yes, to end this post, thank you again Steven Spielberg for this masterpiece of a documentary that showed the harmony of hope and despair.