It seems surprising that the topic of film (and indeed theatre and television drama) has a relatively small place in discussions about counselling and psychotherapy. Even the world of philosophy has embraced film as a medium worthy of serious attention, with whole books being devoted to, for example, analysis of the film Memento and its central themes of identity and memory. Jungians have taken film to heart in a number of stimulating publications (eg Haucke and Hockley's Jung and Film), presumably due to a common focus on the visual and symbolic. My guess is that film, along with music, is the most emotive of artistic media. Perhaps the current emphasis on rational analysis and cognitive remedy cuts across the thought of film as a fertile portal into our psychic worlds?

I was stimulated to write this short piece after seeing the Danish director Lars von Trier's recent film Melancholia. Von Trier has a reputation for self-indulgence, controversy and political incorrectness, and his output in terms of quality may be thought to be uneven. But Breaking the Waves and Antichrist made a powerful impact on me, the latter including some horrifying imagery but also a psychotherapist who tries to analyse his wife who is grieving the loss of their son, killed by falling from a window at the very time they were making love. Like these two films Melancholia has a key female character (Kirsten Dunst as Justine). The film shows her wedding day, 'the happiest day of a woman's life'. At an affluent reception, surrounded by family and colleagues, Justine is unable to pull herself out of a recurring depression and most people, including her sister Claire (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg) find her very irksome. Later, while staying with her sister and family, news about a possible approaching planetary collision becomes the new focus. Justine finally becomes the strong character, as others at first deny the reality of this event, one then kills himself, Claire tries to flee, and then the apocalyptic collision happens. Accompanied by dramatic music and beautiful images, this film culminates in the literal end of the world.

Interpretations and evaluations are notoriously subjective here. As someone who has always been drawn to big themes and who knows what depression feels like, I loved this film and it stayed with me for some time after seeing it. It has been criticised by some for being too long, far too unrealistic and so on, but for me these observations miss the point. A depressed person is often regarded as a pariah, seeing nothing in positive terms, refusing help, and dragging everyone down with them. But she or he is often ruthlessly honest. I suspect that the research finding that 'depressives' make more accurate observations about life events may be a little flawed but they/we are usually deeply affected by and unable to deny the knowledge that each of us must die and life contains many futilities. Indeed, in the very long term, our planet will die. It seems reasonable enough to be at least a little melancholic about such facts that run counter to our actualising tendency or eros. 

Whether reading Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, or works by Samuel Beckett, or watching a Mike Leigh film (like Another Year, which includes a counsellor in a lead role), or Melancholia, I have experienced a great deal of therapeutic catharsis, and comfort from the knowledge that others know the experience that is called depression or melancholy. The wretchedness of deep and chronic depression seems to serve no useful purpose but a vast amount of sensitive and insightful art and prophecy has come from some degree of depression. Our current happiness obsession runs the risk of turning 'happiness' into a must-have commodity so that those without it are then defined as abnormal. Therapy can often include art, drama, music and photography but film is less often used therapeutically. A two-hour film can't be watched in a therapy hour but, similarly to bibliotherapy, meaningful films can be suggested or even prescribed. Of course, care has to be taken that this practice is not counterproductive and no one would want to romanticise depression. But it would be very interesting to hear more about the therapeutic use of film and reactions to Melancholia.

We welcome your feedback. If you have any thoughts about the issues raised in this Talking Point, email your contribution to niki.lawrence@bacp.co.uk