Disability in Two Movies - Essay Example

? Disability in Two Movies Introduction Disability is a multifaceted terminology referring to diverse aspects with absolute lack of abilities in human body parts. Applied extensively to human beings, it implies an impairment of a part of the body in functioning and thus rendering the affected individual unable to carry out normal functions and consequently requiring external help in such functions (George 2009, p23). It thus creates limitations for affected individuals and as a result makes restrictions for them to participate in life-related activities supported by the impaired body parts. Such individuals therefore require external or extra help in these activities. These impairments may occur to different aspects of normal functioning which include cognitive, sensory, physical, or psychological development (Morrison 2010, p45). There are various types of disabilities. The most common types are physical disabilities such as handicap-which is large scale disability of almost all physical body parts, limb malfunctions, mental retardations, visual and hearing impairments. However, other forms such intellectual disabilities, cognitive ones and gustatory and olfactory impairments have been given little attention (Johnson 2008, p56). Various media have presented disability situations differently. Among them include popular media such as film. In the last three decades, the importance of raising attention to the situation has aroused a lot of public interest and consequently, such popular media (Thomson 2003, p78). Basing on life-related realties or fiction, film has presented disability situations either as they happen in reality or in different perceptions. But the terminology still remains a complex phenomenon. Given the diversity in occurrence, different understandings have thus been applied to this terminology. In order to understand it effectively first, it is imperative that a theoretical approach to explanation of the terminology be undertaken and consequently evaluation of such presentations be made with regard the movies “My Left Foot” and “Born on the Fourth of July”. Theoretical perceptions of disability The theoretical explanation of disability takes a multidimensional approach. Focusing on the affected parts of the body, theoretical approach emphasizes on processing functions and explains disability according to different perspectives. To begin with, medical model posits that disability is a malfunction of a part of the body caused by either trauma, illness or other health-related problems, which results in inability in function and thus needing special medical attention by professionals. The model reviews this terminology is able to be remedied and proposes a curative approach to the situation. It views the condition as absolutely rectifiable or almost correctible. Influential political views on this model suggest that medical practices be modified to allow entire medical care for the situation. A social model states that a social construct created through societal perception of reality. It explains that the problem is not individual based but rather collectively created by particular forces in the environment. It indicates that integration into the society is possible, but only through application of appropriate perceptual views. Given that the condition is created by ideologies, large scale change involving individuals and the communities will change disability and thus equal access to resources and privileges only entails human rights issues (Jensen 2011, p89). A biological mode posits that disability is a genetic condition that affects specific individuals or simply family trees. Existing in genetic forms, inborn disabilities such as being handicapped and other biological malfunctions occur genetically due to containment in genes and are transmitted down generations. This model only makes observation of the situation with further elaboration of remedy of the situation taking medical approach as a resolution. Movie summaries My left foot This is a movie based on a true story of an individual called Christy Brown. It is adopted from an original autobiography of the individual written and published in 1954. Screen-written by Sheridan and Conaughton, the movie features casts such as Day-Lewis, O’Conor and Fricker among others and was directed by Sheridan and produced by Steve Morison and Arthur Lappin. It also features extra casts such as Lucy Welsh and Jacinta White as additional casts who add to diversity of characters in the movie (Sheridan & Conaughton 1989, p34). The movie begins by depicting the beginning of the life of Brown as a small born boy. Having been born in a handicapped condition, the child grows up with difficulties from the immediate environment which include societal rejection. This rejection extends to the family except his mother. His mother loves him unconditionally. His physical condition makes it hard for him to adapt to the normal environment given that he was born unable to stand, walk, use his hands in any way or speak and see clearly since his lips were pulled to one side and his eyed twisted up towards the gorges. This physical appearance makes it difficult for immediate people to associate with him and thus many segregated him except his own mother. The love he got from his mother was unconditional and through this love, the boy got home based care, specifically from his mother. Although unable to use conventional means of communication his mother understands his language of communication. Because of the love for him, his mother made every attempt to understand and communicate with him. Also after learning that there was a great barrier between him and his siblings, she makes attempts to break this barrier and eventually convinces them to accept him the way he is. They later take him out and play with him alongside neighborhood children. These actions made the neighborhood get used to playing with him and eventually accept him the way he is. After several such interactions, he comes home one day and picks a pen and using his left foot, writes a letter. Considered as the first sign of communication between his and the outside world, people realize his potential. Upon this realization, he becomes trained in using brushes and paint in painting. He later realizes that he is talented in different fields and accomplishes accordingly. Consequently, a physician gets attracted to him and takes him to a hospital for treatment for a period of time to correct his situation and this later improves the situation. A tutor teaches his mathematics and philosophy among other subjects to give him the necessary education he had missed. His ability to communicate verbally becomes normal and he can speak. He is later honored for exclusive talent in art and poetry among other disciplines (Sheridan & Conaughton 1989, p35). Later stages show Christy becoming resentful to his own situation and become angry with the society and everybody else around him. This is evident from the scene where after being called to go for his reward, he is seen with a bottle of whisky and a straw that he continually keeps on sipping and responds angrily to a nurse advising him against smoking. Although he is confused in different situations even with love for his teacher but later gets love from his nurse (Sheridan & Conaughton 1989, p68). How disability has been presented in movie 1 This movie depicts disability as not incapacitation and difference from normality. Although born handicapped, the boy grows normally as other children to adulthood. Through interaction with people he becomes able to know how to communicate with outside world and thus makes the world realize his potential. This potential later sees him acquire various awards for his outstanding achievement (Smith 2011, p112). Secondly, the movie represents a bad perception of the society on disability. Initially, the society discriminates Christy due to his physical appearance. Everyone ignores him and completely shuns him away. He is eventually left alone with his mother when even his own siblings abandon him. This is a depiction of a misplaced perception of reality as concerns disability. Thirdly, disability is depicted as undiscovered extreme ability but the former is only covered in human perception. When Christy is discovered as a potential individual he is given required education and later goes on to fully exploit it and eventually ends up winning numerous awards. When society takes disability positively, tapping of abilities within helps involved individuals achieve their potentials. (Jensen 2011, p123) Born on the fourth of July Born of the fourth of July is Hollywood movie that narrates a story of a young man growing up in New York and then later joining the marines after teenage-hood. After a special lecture at the porn about marines, the young man becomes fascinated with it, becomes greatly interested, and later enlists. Toward the day of his departure, he misses a date with his girlfriend and later dances with her on the last night of departure. This scene shows the first life of an innocent man joining the marines without knowledge of expectations. A second scene of the movie takes the viewer to Vietnam where Ron is walking in despair. His fellow group had massacred villagers accusing them of collaborating with their enemies. Later during the arrival of another platoon to his troops, he accidentally shoots one of them, named Wilson. His colleagues make several endeavors in trying to save the marine but later dies of wounds inflicted on him. This incidence is kept secret (George 2009, p45). During one of his critical patrols in the field, Ron gets trapped in a firefight facing death. He is critically wounded but escapes with serious injuries and becomes paralyzed from the chest downwards. He is later admitted to Broxx Veterans Administration Hospital where he finds unfavorable conditions. The hospital is not well kept, doctors make infrequent visits, drugs are used without though and patients are left unattended for long periods. He tries to walk using crutches ignoring doctor advice against walking while still in that condition. In the process, he fall down and badly fractures his thigh bone. Consequent doctor prescription indicates and amputation to his limb. This badly affects his physical abilities and permanently confines him to a wheelchair. While in this condition, he returns home but finds the way of treatment has rapidly changed and people do not treat him the same way they used to. He becomes angry. His younger brother becomes an activist for antiwar rallies against Vietnam wars. He uses Ron as an example of what war can do to an individual now that he is permanently paralyzed. Signs of post traumatic depression overwhelm him during an Independence Day celebration. He resents having been a marine and all the good virtues he was taught at childhood such as patriotism and loyalty and felt he could exchange them for his leg. He later reunites with his old friend Timmy and converse appropriately until the day they were to meet but unfortunately she is arrested and taken away by the police. When he return home after meeting a veteran who does not show resentment, he becomes angrier and even fights his mother. Due to subsequent anger, Ron secludes himself from the society and due to stress becomes an alcoholic. For these reasons, he decides to move away to a distant place to live where he would feel belonging and thus ends up in Mexico. Here he finds a sense of belonging after having a romantic relationship with a commercial sex worker. Mixed with feeling of love, he almost asks her to marry him but becomes discouraged after seeing her with another man. Frustrated he decides to move away with his friend and on the way they pick a fight and are left by their van. Stranded, a driver finds them and returns them home. On arrival, he joins the Veteran of War movement as an activist for war victims and conditions at the veteran Hospital. It is through this that he breaks into the opening ceremony of Richard Nixon and is later seen on television. Consequently reporters interview him and give views of the situation of war. How the movie presents disability This film presents disability in a negative manner whereby disability is perceived negatively. Basing on the life of Ron Kovic as a child, he used to play and interact with anyone. He never had any experience of a different external world; he was innocent of problems such as disability. The society’s interaction with him was non-discrimination based and thus he never experienced feelings of rejection (Kovic 2006). However, after becoming a marine and undergoing serious suffering that leaves him paralyzed and permanently confined to a wheelchair, the society’s perception of him changes, including his own family. This is a presentation of the negative perception by the society on disability. The social structure that creates stigmatization of the condition thus befits into the theory of social models of disability. Secondly, the movie presents disability as something unnatural. Having been born a normal child, Ron undergoes normal life experiences until when he joins the marines. After an unfortunate incidence that leads to his hospitalization, he ends up being paralyzed and becomes amputated. These transform him to an individual without physical abilities to enable him to stand or walk. After changing to this situation, he becomes different individual, different from what he was previously. Therefore, this movie presents disability as a condition that result from complication of illnesses or other health related issues discussed under the theory of medical model (Hudson 2011, p89). Thirdly, the movie presents the condition as worsened by internal resentments. After realization of societal rejection of himself, Ron becomes angered even with God, his family and himself and decides to seclude himself from the society. Instead of seeking psychological intervention, the situation worsened when he escaped reality and engaged in alcoholism. With later rejection from a former veteran, he decides to move away from his home in search of a place of belongingness. After moving to a place where he thought he would get what he wished for, he becomes further angered. Thus the movie presents that escapism only worsens a disability situation and focus is rather directed at finding a solution to the problem. Lastly, the movie depicts that disability is also a social construct. Missing a critical perspective of viewing disability, the society becomes deficient of knowledge on handling this condition (Kovic 2006, p110). Instead of mitigating the situation, the society aggravates it by inappropriate handling. From the movie, Ron becomes angered to self hatred when he realized that society treated him differently from the way they used to treat him when he was normal. This condition changes him completely and he becomes angered and later an alcoholic. Conclusion From the movies, it is evident that disability is a serious issue affecting both individuals and the society. Although individuals may lose abilities in their physical sense, they do not usually lose meaning in society. They thus can equally compete and become better than normal individuals in the society. This is evident in the case of the movie, My Left Foot. Consequently, in the following movie, disability is presented as something unnatural and can beget anyone. Although this condition is not predictable in the lives of many, still the society holds its negative perception on it and highly stigmatizes victims of the condition. This treatment only aggravates their situation and makes them secluded. In trying to escape reality, the consequent seclusion from the society only makes things worse for the disabled. The movies posit that this, however. Should not be the case to happen to individuals with disabilities. Bibliography George, P. 2009. Perceptions of disability. Durban, Boston: Cengage Learning. Print. Hudson, S. P. 2011. Recognize the weak. Durban, SA: McMillan. Print. Jensen, G. T. 2011. Movies and Impairments. Oxford, UK: Oxford Publishers. Print Johnson, K.R. 2008. The society and disability. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Print. Kovic, J.G. 2006. Why the disabled should not be marginalized. London, UK: McMillan. Print. Morrison, H.K. 2010. Disability and inability. Houston, Chicago: Wiley & Sons. Print. Sheridan, J & Conaughton, S. 1989. My left foot. New York, NY: Hollywood. Movie. Smith, H.R. 2011. Disability: A misplaced conception. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Print. Thomson, Y.K. 2003. Popular culture and Disability. Montreal, CA: McGraw Hill. Print. Read More