Ways of Representing Mental Illnesses in Two Post-War Documentaries: Let There Be Light (1946) and Shades of Gray (1948)

During World War II, mental illnesses suffered by soldiers exposed to combat skyrocketed. The US authorities sought to respond to this reality, deploying an extensive psychiatric care program, and some documentaries reported on this. Let There Be Light (John Huston, 1946) was one of them; but its de...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Girona, Ramon, Del Río, Olga
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10256/28157
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10256/28157
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Guerra Mundial II, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945
Neurosi de guerra -- Estats Units d'Amèrica
War neuroses -- United States
Huston, John, 1906-1987
Cinema documental
Documentary films
Descripción
Sumario:During World War II, mental illnesses suffered by soldiers exposed to combat skyrocketed. The US authorities sought to respond to this reality, deploying an extensive psychiatric care program, and some documentaries reported on this. Let There Be Light (John Huston, 1946) was one of them; but its depiction of sick soldiers met with censure by the authorities, who banned its reproduction. In response, they apparently authorized the production of another documentary: Shades of Gray (Joseph Henabery, 1948). This study analyzes the narrative form of the two films, through their representation of soldiers suffering from mental illnesses, and establishes similarities and differences, to explore how they end up conveying a significantly different message, despite their similar argumentation