When asked if he is an atheist, Walt Whitman (Rip Torn) simply responds that he is an unbeliever as far as the modern church is concerned, that he considers the Bible one of the greatest books ever written, and basically that God would have more to do with his time then place unreasonable demands on flawed human beings that they could never hope to fulfill. There are magic in those words, a simple love of his fellow man, and an acceptance over things that he cannot control. Whitman is disgusted by what he sees when he comes to London and goes to a mental institution where he witnesses the inhumane treatment of the mentally disturbed. Gentle psychiatrist Colm Feore listens to his every word and watches how he interacts with the patient's, freeing one man whose hands are shackled, and encouraging the staff to Temptations involved in activities that would help them, rather than hinder him and keep them constantly idle. Certainly, the treatment of the mentally ill here is very disturbing, especially when you see troubled scullery maid Sheila McCarthy constantly slapped with a wet towel over and over. Human sexuality seems to be at the forefront of what makes someone considered mentally ill at that time, and the mutilating a female bodies to prevent sexual arousal is one of the tactics that the man in charge of these psychiatric institutions utilize.
At first, Feore's wife (Wendel Meldrum), seems disturbed by all of this psychiatric mumbo-jumbo, and the audience gets the sense that she doesn't like how it's putting an influence on their daughter. But there's much more to that, and when she begins to have psychiatric issues of her own, it's obviously caused by the limited roles that women weren't allowed to have in a male-dominated society. Certainly the shackling of the mines in addition to the body causes great damage Feore learns, and as we see with the variety of patients, it's obvious that they need activity and be around other people in order to learn how to function better. But a judgmental society is against his tactics, and even in churches, he is lambasted for his efforts to improve the human condition.
The performance of Rip Torn will mesmerize you from the start, even as his character becomes sort of an American joke to British high society where he is considered to be uncouth and a charlatan. In a sense, he's exactly what God ordered, a man who like real Rogers, seem to never meet another man he didn't like. Torn is ably supported by a terrific featured cast, and the script which is a combination of Mark Twain like witticisms and a harsh slap at the view of how those with varying psychiatric problems should be treated in this period of time is brilliant.
This does not point a judgmental finger at those treatments, and just indicates how they have changed for the better. Feore is memorable as he reacts to the new things that he's learning, eventually having the strength to stand up and persue rights of dignified treatment, and Meldrum shows the awakening of her character who wasn't as stuffy as we initially believed. But McCarthy has probably the hardest job acting-wise, showing positions of the mentally ill woman and managing to do so without coming off in an over-exaggerated way. The various other actors playing mentally disabled patients are very convincing, almost to the point where it seems like they actually cast mentally disabled actors to portray these various ailments. This is an outstanding film in every way, not depressing but enlightening.
At first, Feore's wife (Wendel Meldrum), seems disturbed by all of this psychiatric mumbo-jumbo, and the audience gets the sense that she doesn't like how it's putting an influence on their daughter. But there's much more to that, and when she begins to have psychiatric issues of her own, it's obviously caused by the limited roles that women weren't allowed to have in a male-dominated society. Certainly the shackling of the mines in addition to the body causes great damage Feore learns, and as we see with the variety of patients, it's obvious that they need activity and be around other people in order to learn how to function better. But a judgmental society is against his tactics, and even in churches, he is lambasted for his efforts to improve the human condition.
The performance of Rip Torn will mesmerize you from the start, even as his character becomes sort of an American joke to British high society where he is considered to be uncouth and a charlatan. In a sense, he's exactly what God ordered, a man who like real Rogers, seem to never meet another man he didn't like. Torn is ably supported by a terrific featured cast, and the script which is a combination of Mark Twain like witticisms and a harsh slap at the view of how those with varying psychiatric problems should be treated in this period of time is brilliant.
This does not point a judgmental finger at those treatments, and just indicates how they have changed for the better. Feore is memorable as he reacts to the new things that he's learning, eventually having the strength to stand up and persue rights of dignified treatment, and Meldrum shows the awakening of her character who wasn't as stuffy as we initially believed. But McCarthy has probably the hardest job acting-wise, showing positions of the mentally ill woman and managing to do so without coming off in an over-exaggerated way. The various other actors playing mentally disabled patients are very convincing, almost to the point where it seems like they actually cast mentally disabled actors to portray these various ailments. This is an outstanding film in every way, not depressing but enlightening.