Prompt Cast
"Titicut Follies": A Raw and Unfiltered Look at a Mental Institution for the Criminally Insane
TLDR "Titicut Follies" is a documentary film by Frederick Wiseman that provides a raw and unfiltered look at Bridgewater State Hospital, a mental institution for the criminally insane. The film captures unsettling scenes of patients, highlighting the lack of empathy and understanding from the staff, and was initially banned but later unbanned and continues to be shown in various settings.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast discusses the film "Titicut Follies" and its significance in the world of cinema.
04:51
"Titicut Follies" is a documentary film by Frederick Wiseman that uses the cinema verite style to provide a raw and unfiltered look at a mental institution for the criminally insane.
09:52
"Titicut Follies" is a documentary film that uses the cinema verite style and is considered a form of journalism, providing a raw and unfiltered look at Bridgewater State Hospital, a mental institution for the criminally insane.
14:55
Patients at Bridgewater State Hospital, a mental institution for the criminally insane, had difficulty getting the attention of doctors to be released, with less than half of the 650 men held there being seen by medical staff for only 20 minutes once a year, often being confronted by prison guards who dismissed their complaints as "loony."
20:06
Frederick Weisman, a filmmaker, got permission to film at Bridgewater State Hospital and spent 29 days filming there for his documentary.
25:13
The film "Titicut Follies" includes a scene where a guard shaves a patient, Jim, in a rough and forceful manner, while other guards continuously try to provoke a reaction from Jim.
30:01
The filmmaker treats everyone in the documentary as human and equal, without expressing empathy or trying to manipulate the audience's opinion, allowing the subjects to present themselves and creating a sense of unsettling reality.
35:12
The filmmaker captures raw and unsettling scenes of patients in the mental institution, including a man throwing a tantrum and another pleading his case to be released, highlighting the lack of empathy and understanding from the staff.
40:11
The filmmaker includes a force feeding scene and scenes of the man's burial to show the contrast between the man's treatment while alive and after his death, which some critics found heavy-handed.
45:34
The film was initially well-received by the superintendent of Bridgewater and the lieutenant governor, but it wasn't until wider release that people began to criticize the treatment at Bridgewater, leading to the film being banned; however, it continued to be shown in film classes, medical schools, and libraries until the 80s.
50:40
The film "Titicut Follies" was officially unbanned in the early 90s and continued to be shown in various settings such as film classes, libraries, and through PBS, and it even made its way onto a streaming service called Canopy in 2017.
Categories:
Society & Culture
