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A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
The Strata One Degree (S1)
NAIM KURNIAWATI
NIM. 104026000963
NAIM KURNIAWATI
NIM. 104026000963
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
The Strata One Degree (S1)
Naim Kurniawati
NIM. 104026000963
Approved by:
Advisor,
Examination Committee
Members:
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by
another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the
award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher
learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.
Naim Kurniawati
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
All praises belong to Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, and the
creator all the living things and the non living things from being nothing into
exist. The writer would like to start off by thanking Allah SWT. Thank you God
for always helping her, and guiding her in every step in living her life. Peace and
blessing be upon our prophet Muhammad SAW and all of his friends and
followers.
The writer would like to express her gratitude to her parents for their
constant love and guidance. They are the most amazing people that anyone could
ever know and make the writer who and what her today. The writer can never
thank them enough. The writer can never repay for all they have done for her. The
writer loves you both dearly.
The writer wants to thank her brothers and sister for supporting her in
finishing her thesis. Thank you so much for her brothers, Rahmat and Shahid, who
always help her, being so affectionate, and being so handy; for her little sister,
Awi, who always cheers her up and becomes so patient in listening to all her
stories and grievances. The writer also wants to thank her family members,
especially her cousins, Amp and Rina, thank you for always being there for her
whenever and wherever.
The writer expresses deep sense of gratitude and thankfulness to her guide
Dini Masitah S.S, M. Hum who has helped her at each and every point of her
research work with patience and enthusiasm. The writer has much indebted to
Mrs. Dini Masitah for her inspiring guidance, affection, generosity and everlasting
enthusiasm throughout the tenure of her research work, without that the thesis
would not have appeared in the present form.
The gratitude is dedicated to Dr. H. Abdul Chair, M.A, the Dean of
English Letters Department; Dr. H. Muhammad Farkhan M.Pd, the Head of
English Letters Department; Drs. A. Saefuddin, M.Pd., the Secretary of English
Letters Department; and all lecturers of English Letters Department who has
taught her during her study at Syarif Hidayatullah University.
The writer offers her gratitude to her classmates Yanti for her fruitful
discussion at various stages. The writer also would like to thank her best friends
Hilya, Lita, Fitri, Achwan and Kris for their support, time sharing, and
understanding.
A special thanks to Miss Rosida Erowati who has guided the writer and
helped her learning about film structure. Thank you for the time, patience and
kindness. All the writer’s friends in film discussion, Woro, Velma, Nova, Mela,
Habibie, Yanti, and Jay, thanks for sharing.
The writer heartily thanks to her neighbors, especially Sari; her best friend,
Dini; and her friends at YM for their great support and advice.
The writer would like to end now by saying thanks to everyone who has
supported her and to the person who is reading this. May Allah bless us.
The writer
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study .......................................................... 1
B. Focus of the Study ................................................................... 3
C. Research Questions .................................................................. 3
D. Objectives of the Research ....................................................... 3
E. Significance of the Research .................................................... 3
F. Research Methodology ............................................................ 4
1. Method ............................................................................... 4
2. Technique of Data Analysis ................................................ 4
3. Unit of Analysis .................................................................. 4
4. Instruments ......................................................................... 5
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................... 80
APPENDICES ......................................................................................... 83
LIST OF FIGURES
INTRODUCTION
Films are cultural artifacts created by specific cultures, which reflect those
cultures, and, in turn, affect them. Film is considered to be an important art form,
about mental illness or others societal problems. The visual elements of cinema
Film does not only become something that entertains but also can inspire the
topics is including development over the life cycle (particularly childhood and
become popular because it is adapted from best seller novel or book for
example, American Psycho (2000). Some others based on true life story for
A Beautiful Mind film is one of the films that has psychological theme.
1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film, accessed on January 26, 2008.
The story begins when Nash in 1948 starts his study in Princeton
University. Nash’s friends are Martin Hansen, Sol, and Bender. He meets his
roommate Charles, a literature student, who soon becomes his best friend.
During the whole time that Nash studied in Princeton, he was trying to
come up with his own original idea. He makes a fruitful work in the concept of
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), along with his friends Sol and
Bender.
student with whom he falls in love and eventually marries. Nash’s life change
Things get worse after Nash and Alicia married. Nash’s job as a secret
agent makes him feels in danger day after day. Finally, while giving a lecture,
decode Soviet messages was in fact all a delusion. Even more surprisingly, Nash's
friend Charles and his niece Marcee are also only products of Nash's mind.
based on the true life story of a mathematical prodigy, John Forbes Nash Jr. The
film is a brilliant and touching portrayal of the destruction of the mind by
narration and cinematic techniques of film form. That is why the writer would like
to analyze John Nash as of the main character who suffers from schizophrenia in
This research is focused on how the main character, John Nash, suffers
C. Research Questions
structure of A Beautiful Mind film; the cinematic techniques of the film; and the
Through this research, the writer hopes that research would be beneficial
expects that this research can give understanding about narrative and psychology
in film.
F. Research Methodology
1. Method
The writer uses qualitative method in doing this research. The writer also
psychological approach of the main character in the film with its narrative
this film. The writer collected the data from several sources that related to
the study. In narrative film, like A Beautiful Mind, narrative form and
3. Unit of Analysis
Analysis unit that is used in this research is the DVD film A Beautiful
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Both of film and literary work has narrative. To convey the narrative, both
of them use different medium. Literary work uses language as its medium and
narrative film uniquely depend on visual, and sound elements to establish place
and time, develop characters, suggest themes and ideas, and create mood.
In this chapter, the writer will use theories of film structure and
the main character. The theories are narrative structure in film, cinematic
understand narrative film.2 If we want to understand a film, we cannot just see the
comprehend the story and it also influence how viewer responds to the film. The
2
William H Phillips, Film: An Introduction (Boston: Bedford/ St.Martin’s, 1999), p. 275-276.
B. The Cinematic Techniques
itself. According to Bordwell (1993), there are four sets of cinematic techniques:
two techniques of the shot, mise-en-scène and cinematography; the technique that
relates shot to shot, editing; and the relation of sound to film images.3
In any film, certain techniques tend to create a formal system of their own.
our understanding any film. It is useful to have term to help describe formal
Style is that formal system of the film organizes film techniques. Any film
will tend to rely on particular options in creating its style, and these are chosen by
extend the term “style” to describe the characteristic use of techniques made by a
1. Mise-en-scène
was first applied to the practice of directing plays. Mise-en-scène includes those
aspects of film that overlap with the art of the theater: setting, lighting, costumes
3
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction (New York: Mc Graw Hill,
1993), p. 144.
4
Ibid. p. 57.
5
Ibid. p. 335.
and make-up, and the behavior of the figures.6 Those aspects of mise-en-scène
a. Setting
The setting is literally the location where the action takes place, and it can
location shooting).7 The production designers must decide how to decorate their
sets and locations. Set decoration includes all props and furnishings, including
foliage and food, used in a given scene. When an object in the setting is motivated
to operate actively within the ongoing action, we can call it a “prop”.8 More often,
decorate their living room, or what they put into their medicine chests, can tell us
To get the most out of set decoration, production designers study the
designers strive to create a credible everyday world. For period pieces, designers
conduct research at libraries and archives to help them achieve authenticity. For
futuristic or fantastic stories, they consult with scientists and engineers to create
sets that are both imaginative and believable. Sometimes, however, designers
choose drama over realism, selecting props or furnishings that may not be
6
Ibid. p. 145.
7
Susan Hayward, Key Concepts in Cinema Studies (London: Routledge, 1996), p. 313.
8
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (1993), op.cit. p. 149.
In addition to architectural elements and set decoration, production
designers rely on color, tone and texture to help realize their vision. Often the
main characters in a script are assigned color and fabric palettes. When choosing a
palette, designers consider the characters’ emotional journey as well as their social
and cultural background. The chosen colors may show up in the characters’
costumes, in the props they use, or in the décor of their habitat. Colors can have
usually denotes danger; white denotes purity. In the Chinese culture, white is the
Like any other visual technique, color in the mise-en-scène may function
as a motif.9 Color tones and shading are also important in art direction. Saturated,
deep colors convey a sense of seriousness and intensity, while bright colors
b. Lighting
the way an image is perceived. Light affects the way colors are rendered; both in
terms of hue and depth, and can focus attention on particular elements of the
9
Maria Pramaggiore and Tom Wallis, Film: A Critical Introduction (London: Laurence King
Publishing Ltd, 2005), p. 86.
films rely on the three-point lighting style, and its genre variations. Other films,
for example documentaries and realist cinema, rely on natural light to create a
sense of authenticity.
Lighting style is generally determined in consultation with the director (and often
the production designer), and depends on the setting, mood and character of the
story or the scene. According to Boggs and Petrie (2000), there are two terms
designate different intensities of lighting: (a) Low-key lighting puts most of the
set in shadow; just a few highlights define the subject. This type of lighting
heightens suspense and creates a somber mood; thus, it is used in mystery and
horror films. (b) High-key lighting, in contrast, results in more light areas than
shadows, and subjects are seen in middle grays and highlights, with far less
contrast. High key lighting is suitable for comic and light moods, such in a
musical. 10
Lighting also is used to create the illusion of depth and dimension, and to
illuminate different contours and textures. Depth can be emphasized by back- and
side-lighting the actors to create highlights on prominent features and leave the
background in shadow. Sometimes color gels are used over lights to enhance the
depth of a scene (warm tones might be used to light the actors, while cooler colors
10
Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie, The Art of Watching Films, 5th ed (U.S.A: Mayfield
Publishing Company, 2000), p. 102.
c. Costumes and Make-up
Costumes are part of the visual composition of each frame of film. Just as
must work with the lighting and sets. Color, shape, line, and texture are all
considered when designing costumes for a film. Color, one of the most important
elements in the designer’s tool kit, suggests the mood and atmosphere of a story.
Warm reds produce a different effect from subdued blues, for example. Costumes
are also used to focus attention on the major actors and the important action in a
scene. Costumes can change the shape of an actor’s body to reflect the period and
Like costume designers, makeup artists are storytellers. Whether the script
other fantastic beings, makeup artists and hairstylists help audiences believe that
what they see on the film screen is real. Makeup artists and hairstylists do more
than make actors look attractive. The filmmaker works to visualize the complete
character. Like costume designers, makeup artists try to reflect the time period,
characters. Makeup artists and hairstylists use their skills to make sure that no
matter how much time has passed, the actors’ appearance is consistent from shot
to shot.
The director may also control the behavior of various figures in the mise-
en-scène. Here the word “figures” covers a wide range of possibilities, since the
figure may represent a person but could also be an animal, a robot, an object, or
(appearance, gestures, facial expression) and sound (voice, effects).11 The ultimate
goal of any actor should be to make us believe completely in the reality of the
character. If this goal to be achieved, actors must either develop or blessed with
several talents.12
2. Cinematography
When making a film, filmmaker will pay more attention to what will be
filmed in order to deliver his or her message to the viewer. Since film is a series of
frame that is projected onto a screen, a visual element becomes important thing in
making a film. To deliver the right message, filmmaker will control what is filmed
cinematographic qualities which are divided into three factors: the photographic
aspects of the shot; the framing of the shot; and the duration of the shot. Those
11
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (1993), op.cit. p. 158.
12
Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie (2005), op.cit. p. 269.
13
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (1993), op.cit. p. 185.
a. The Photographic Aspects of the Shot
The camera does what a human eye does. That is, it creates perspective
and spatial relations with the rest of the world. However, unlike one's eye, a
focal length is one of the chief benefits of such an advantage. The focal length of
the lens in particular, determines the angle of view and, therefore, the field of
view. Bordwell (1993) said that there are three sorts of lenses on the basis of their
length (normal) lens; and the long-focal-length (telephoto) lens. 14 There is one
sort of lens that offers the director a chance to manipulate focal length and to
transform perspective relations during a single shot. A zoom shot is a single shot
taken with a lens that has a variable focal length, thereby permitting the
cinematographer to change the distance between the camera and the object being
filmed, and rapidly move from a wide-angle shot to a telephoto shot in one
continuous movement; this camera technique makes an object in the frame appear
backward zoom.15
Focal length not only affects how shape and scale are magnified distorted.
It also determines the lens’s depth of field. Depth of field the depth of
composition of a shot, i.e., where there are several planes (vertical spaces in a
and farthest planes) in which the elements captured in a camera image appear in
sharp or acceptable focus; as a rule of thumb, the area 1/3 in front of and 2/3
behind the subject is the actual distance in focus; depth of field is directly
connected, but not to be confused with focus.16 Depth of field should not be
confused with the concept of deep space. Bordwell (1993) explained that deep
space is a term for the way the filmmaker has staged the action on several
different planes, regardless of whether or not all of these planes are in focus.17
Like deep space, deep focus involves staging an event on film such that
significant elements occupy widely separated planes in the image. Unlike deep
technically to insure that a camera shot retains its deep focus throughout all the
various planes (fore, middle, and back).18 Most cameras, including still cameras,
are designed to focus on objects at different distances from the lens. Because the
eye is ordinarily drawn to what it can see best—that is, to the object in sharpest
rack focus—in one continuous shot focusing the camera lens, in turn, on objects
Special effects artists make things happen in films that might not normally
occur in real life. When the real thing is too expensive, too dangerous or
impossible to shoot, special effects artists are bought in. The first special effects in
16
Tim Dirks, Cinematic Terms, A Film-Making Glossary: Deep of focus (1996). Accessed on
November 10, 2008. http://www.filmsite.org/filmterms7.html
17
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (1993), op.cit. p. 194.
18
Tim Dirks (1996), op.cit. http://www.filmsite.org/filmterms7.html
19
Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie (2005), op.cit. p. 131.
the cinema were created while the film was being shot. These came to be known
as "in-camera" effects. Later, optical and digital effects were developed so that
editors and visual effects artists could more tightly control the process by
manipulating the film in post-production. Bordwell (1993) explained that there are
five techniques of special effects: glass shots (here portions of the setting are
painted onto a pane of glass and the camera shoots through it to film action
more than one image on the same film strip); rear projection (a technique for
background of a shot is projected from the front onto a screen; figures in the
foreground are filmed in front of the screen as well); and matte shot (a type of
process shot in which different areas of the image (usually actors and setting) are
film's structure, captured by the camera on a strip of motion picture film - similar
shown in rapid succession make up a motion (or moving) picture; also refers to
the rectangular area within which the film image is composed by the filmmaker—
20
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (1993), op.cit. p. 197-198.
21
Tim Dirks (1996), op.cit. http://www.filmsite.org/filmterms10.html
Many films are shot with a camera that appears to be at approximately the
same height as its subject. However, it is possible to film from a position that is
significantly lower or higher than the dominant element of the shot. In that case,
the image is described as low angle or high angle respectively. Angle of framing
can be used to indicate the relation between a character and the camera's point of
Bordwell (1993), there are three general categories of camera angles: the
straight-on angle (horizontal, on the same level), the high angle (above it,
Not only can the angle from which a camera films but the height also be a
whereas a high-level camera would be placed above the typical perspective shown
in the cinema. Camera level is used to signify sympathy for characters who
The distance of framing is the apparent distance of the frame from the
According to Hayward (1996), there are: (a) close-up: the subject framed the
camera fills the screen, close up can be used an objects and on parts of the body
other than the face; (b) medium close-up: close-up of one or two (sometimes
three) characters, generally framing the shoulders or chest and the head; (c)
22
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (1993), op.cit. p. 211.
medium shot: the shot of frames a character from the waist, hips or knees up (or
down); (d) medium long shot: halfway between a long and a medium shot; (e)
long shot: subject or characters are at some distance from the camera; they are
seen in full in their surrounding environment; (f) extreme long shot: the subject
film’s narration may present story information with some degree of psychological
depth. There are perceptual subjectivity (we might see shots taken from
shot) or hear sounds as the character would hear them), and mental subjectivity
might see the character’s “inner images,” representing memory, fantasy, dreams,
or hallucinations).24
In framing it is possible for the frame to move with respect to the framed
material. There are many ways to move a camera: in fluid long takes, rapid and
confusing motions, etc. that establishes the rhythm and point of view scene.
Bordwell (1993) gave four types of camera movement, they are: the pan (short
for “panorama”) movement rotates the camera on a vertical axis; the tilt
movement rotates the camera on a horizontal axis; in the tracking (or dolly or
trucking) shot, the camera as a whole does change position, traveling in any
side to side; and in the crane shot the camera moves above ground level.
23
Susan Hayward (1996), op.cit. p. 317.
24
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (1993), op.cit. p. 78.
Sometimes filmmaker does not want smooth camera movements, preferring a
bumpy, jiggling image. Commonly this sort of image is achieved through use of
subject of the shot, and it subordinates itself to that subject’s movement. Camera
movement has several functions, all directly supportive of the narrative. First, and
one another. The camera carves into space to create connections that enrich the
film narrative’s form. Frame mobility can guide and shape our perception of a
film’s space and time. Frame mobility may be motivated by larger formal
concerns, or it may itself become the principal formal concern, motivating other
the mobile frame within specific contexts, we can gain a fuller understanding of
permit no simple equivalence of “real duration’ with screen duration. Long takes
constitutes a major resource for the filmmaker. Yet, a take is one run of the
25
Ibid. p. 219-220.
26
Ibid. p. 235.
3. Editing
Editing may be thought of as the coordination of one shot with the next.
The film editor eliminates unwanted footage and joins the desired shots, the end
of one to the beginning of another. Bordwell (1993) explained these joins can be
different sorts, they are: a fade-out (gradually darkens the end of a shot to black);
superimposes the end of shot A and the beginning of shot B); a wipe (shot B
replaces shot A by means of a boundary line moving across the screen), and a cut
4. Sound
Filmmakers have always understood the power that sound and music have
musical accompaniment in theaters, and often sound effects were created on the
soundstage, makes up the initial layer of a film soundtrack. Using rhythm and
tempo, melodic harmony or dissonant tones, a film score conveys mood, emotion
27
Ibid. p. 247.
Instrumental music is only part of the composer’s tool kit. Songs are often
Whether a song is heard on the soundtrack or performed live in the film, the lyrics
songs, written specifically for a film, may either highlight a single dramatic or
According to Bordwell (1993), there are two sources of sound, they are:
diegetic sound, if the source of sound is a character or object in the story space of
the film; and nondiegetic sound which is represented as coming from a source
associated with the people and objects onscreen. Overlapping sound can connect
D. Schizophrenia
28
Ibid. p. 307.
29
James D. Page, Abnormal Psychology ( New Delhi: Mcgraw-Hill Inc, 1947), p. 236.
Microsoft Encarta (2007) defines schizophrenia as a severe psychiatric
The psychotic disorder for the first time was identified as “demence
was a disease process that caused by specific pathology in the body. Kraepelin
dementia praecox into schizophrenia. The term schizophrenia comes from the
Greek words shcizien, meaning “split” and phren, meaning “mind”. Bleuler
thought and a divorce of mental processes from other processes such as one’s
30
Microsoft Encarta. Oxford. Schizophrenia (2007).
31
Jeffrey S. Nevid, et al, Psikologi Abnormal. (Jilid 1 dan Jilid 2, judul asli: Abnormal Psychology
in a Changing World 5th Edition), (Jakarta: Erlangga, 2005), p. 104.
32
David Hothersall, Psychology (U.S.A: A Bell & Howell Company, 1985), p. 469.
33
Jeffrey S. Nevid, et al, (2005), op.cit. p. 105.
Nevid, et al. (2005), quoting DSM-IV34, define a person to be diagnosed
portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of
the level achieved prior to the onset. The continuous signs of the disturbance
persist for at least six months. This six-month period must include at least one
month of symptoms (or less, if successfully treated). Additional criteria are also
the symptoms are the direct result of a substance (e.g., abuse of a drug or
al., (2005), there are a number of factors that contributes to the development of
factors.36 Biological factors includes: genetic factors that involved in the expresses
centers; abnormal brain structure; the causal factors that can initially come
34
DSM is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The DSM-IV is the most
recent major classification of mental disorders and contain eighteen major classifications and
describes more than 200 specific disorders. It is published in 1994.
35
Ibid.
36
Ibid. p. 136.
factors: evidence suggests that genetic and environmental factors can act in
symptoms.37
a. Delusions
person that appears obviously untrue to other people in the person’s culture. For
example, a man may believe that Martians have implanted a microchip in his
him”); Delusion of Reference (people in a bus are talking about him or people on
TV make him as a joke); Delusion of Influence (he believes that his thought,
feeling, impulses or his action is being controlled by the power from the outside
37
Ibid.
38
Sutardjo A. Wiramihardja, Pengantar Psikologi Abnormal (Bandung: PT. Refika Aditama,
2005), p. 138.
like evil); Delusion of Grandeur (he believes that himself has special mission, or
schizophrenia of the main character in the research. The writer assumes that those
b. Hallucinations
external stimuli are more common in schizophrenia than in any other mental
writer assumes that the main character experiences those three types of
39
Jeffrey S. Nevid, et al, (2005), op.cit. p. 111.
40
James D. Page (1947), op.cit. p. 239.
41
James C. Coleman and William E. Broen, Jr, Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life (United
States of America: University of California at Los Angeles, 1972) p. 271.
Often such people have trouble sticking to one topic at a time (loose associations).
The ends of their statements are only distantly related to the beginnings. For
some, the only true is that key words in their statements rhyme (clang
that they use their own private words (neologisms) that have meaning to no one
else.42
d. Disturbance of Emotional
responding. 43 Individuals may complain that they can barely feel pain or joy.
reactions do not correspond to the content of his or her speech or meet the
that there is not clear enough whether the disturbance of emotional of people
emotion, to report the emotion that they feel, or they really experience an
emotion.44
42
John M. Darley, et. al, Psychology, 3rd ed (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1986), p. 582.
43
David Hothersall, (1985), op.cit. p. 473.
44
Jeffrey S. Nevid, et al, (2005), op.cit. p. 116-117.
e. Disturbance of Motor Behavior
frequently abnormal: they may be agitated or excited, and may wave or gesture
behavior.45
Nevid et al., (2005) said that people with schizophrenia tend to withdraw
themselves and not to interact with other people. They enjoy their own thought
chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorders that has been recognized throughout
2. Subtypes of Schizophrenia
According to Halonen and Santrock (1999), there are four main types of
a. Disorganized Type
45
David Hothersall, (1985), op.cit. p. 473.
46
Jeffrey S. Nevid, et al, (2005), op.cit. p. 136.
47
Jane S. Halonen and John W. Santrock, Psychology: Contexts and Applications, 3rd ed (U.S.A:
Mcgraw-Hill Companies, Inc, . 1999)
disorganized schizophrenic withdraws from human contact and might regress to
silly, childlike gestures and behavior. Many of those individuals were isolated or
b. Catatonic Type
sometimes shows waxy flexibility; for example, if the person’s arms raised and
c. Paranoid Type
It is not unusual for schizophrenics to develop all three delusions in the following
order.
d. Undifferentiated Type
meet the criteria for the other types or they meet the criteria for more than one of
that the main character suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Further analysis of
a. Medication
medication. These can reduce the symptoms of psychosis like hallucination and
delusion.48
have greatly improved the lives of many patients, they do not cure schizophrenia.
current (about 100volts) through the brain. The individual immediately loses
consciousness. The body becomes rigid, and then the muscles begin to twitch
violently. The seizure lasts up to about a minute, but the patient remains
state. The patient has no memory of what has happened during the treatment and
48
Jeffrey S. Nevid, et al, (2005), op.cit. p. 131.
usually for some period before that. ECT patients may forget other past memories
c. Hospitalization
d. Psychosocial Treatments
patients who are already stabilized on antipsychotic medication deal with certain
care, work, and establishing and maintaining relationships with others. Learning
and using coping mechanisms to address these problems allows people with
psychosocial treatments help most, and many useful treatment approaches have
People with schizophrenia can take an active role in managing their own
illness. Once they learn basic facts about schizophrenia and the principles of
schizophrenia treatment, they can make informed decisions about their care.
persist even when they take medication. The cognitive therapist teaches people
with schizophrenia how to test the reality of their thoughts and perceptions, how
to “not listen” to their voices, and how to shake off the apathy that often
immobilizes them. This treatment appears to be effective in reducing the severity
people with schizophrenia frequently become ill during the critical career-forming
years of life (ages 18 to 35) and because the disease often interferes with normal
cognitive functioning, most patients do not receive the training required for skilled
skills.
Patients with schizophrenia are often discharged from the hospital into the
possible about the disease to prevent relapses. Family members should be able to
use different kinds of treatment adherence programs and have an arsenal of coping
Knowing where to find outpatient and family services that support people with
schizophrenia and their caregivers is also valuable. Numerous studies have found
49
Ibid, p. 135.
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDINGS
flattening. At least in six months, a person must show the continuous signs of the
disorder or pervasive developmental disorder are present, or the symptoms are the
film, the writer will analyze the narrative structure of the story, cinematic
techniques, and how the filmmaker utilizes cinematic techniques to support the
narrative and the schizophrenia of the main character. Moreover, the writer will
narrative expectations which spectators would thus be looking for events and
references keyed to John Forbes Nash’s life. The title A Beautiful Mind cue
and he becomes delusional and paranoid. Finally, he recovers and wins a 1994
Nobel Prize. A Beautiful Mind DVD’s cover features a picture of face of a man
with tense, curious, and in sharp looking into the window (see Appendix 3).
Phillips (1996) said that the structure of the story is important to understand
narrative film. The writer applies the structure in fictional film that Phillips has
explained in the book Film: An Introduction, they are “characters, goals, and
The protagonist in A Beautiful Mind is John Nash, who is also the main
character in the film. The film begins in 1948 when Nash arrives at Princeton
meets his roommate Charles, a literature student, who soon becomes his best
interacting with a group of other promising math and science graduate students,
50
Cold War is the term used to describe the state of conflict, tension, and competition that existed
between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies from the mid-
1940s to the early 1990s. Throughout this period, rivalry between the two superpowers was
expressed through military coalitions, propaganda, espionage, weapons development, industrial
advances, and competitive technological development, e.g., the space race. Both superpowers
engaged in costly defense spending, a massive conventional and nuclear arms race, and
numerous proxy wars.
The first conflict happen when Nash challenged to play Go by Hansen.
During the game they are talking about Bender and Sol who correctly completed
Allen's proof of Peyrot's Conjecture. Hansen has got two weapons briefs under
security review by the D.O.D., while Nash has not published his paper yet. The
To find his original idea, Nash spends days on end in the campus library,
works out dense calculations on the leaded-glass windows of his dorm room and
job with an important defense company, where he eventually works for high-class
enemy code-breaker. Nash and Alicia begin dating, and despite of his lack of his
begins to behave erratically. While giving a lecture, Nash realizes that he is being
secret assignment to decode Soviet messages was in fact all a delusion. Even more
surprisingly, Nash's friend Charles and his niece Marcee are also only products of
that what seems real to him is not. The mind that served him so well and so
Nash observing the ways in which he copes with his illness together with
Alicia as the wife who always forgave, always encouraged and ultimately brought
her husband back to life. He recovers and wins a 1994 Nobel Prize
Beautiful Mind John Nash as the main character tries to reach his goal by finding
his own original idea. At same point he does not realize that he is schizophrenic.
He faces all the problems and finally reaches his goal. He overcomes
Prize.
flashback. The story is ingenious way because it manages to keep the viewer as
much in the dark as the main character, John Nash. The viewer will not realize
that Charles, Parcher, and Marcee are not real because the filmmaker utilizes the
a. Mise-en-scène in Time
Philips (1999) explained that time in all fictional film are imprecise.51
Bordwell (1993) also explained that the importance of time in a film is related to
causes and their effects in narrative. Bordwell has divided time into two parts;
they are temporal order and temporal duration.52 Both Philips and Bordwell
plot uses film techniques to manipulate time. A Beautiful Mind is release in 2001
but it tells a story that takes place over about forty years (from 1940s to 1990s).
To construct the viewer’s perspective about time in the film, the director uses
director’s effort to help the viewer to understand the plot time and the story time
as a whole.
Howard uses inter titles in the film to manipulate the time for example,
Figure 1 and 2. These inter titles guide the viewer to the development of Nash’s
life. By manipulating time will support the narrative and shaping the viewer’s
sense of time in A Beautiful Mind (see Appendix 3 for mise-en-scène in time and
space).
51
William H. Phillips (1999), op. cit. p. 304.
52
David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (1993), op. cit. p. 70-71.
Figure 1 Figure 2
From the Figures above, Figure 1 shows the time on September 1947
which Nash arrives at Princeton University. Figure 2 shows the time in 1953 at
the Pentagon.
story time. We can see the season changes in short time by those technique while
Nash is doing his thesis. A crane shot moves backward from medium long shot to
extreme long shot of Nash (Figure 3, 4, 5, and 6). The frame shows the season
Figure 3 Figure 4
Figure 5 Figure 6
From the Figures above, the filmmaker uses the same place to describe the
season changes. We can see snow falls down outside when winter (Figure 3). It
gradually disappears (Figure 4) and turns to spring (Figure 5). Then the season
change to summer (Figure 6). The color in the four Figures also gradually changes
mise-en-scène (Figure 7, 8, 9, and 10) to support the narrative time and also the
condition of the main character who suffers from schizophrenia (further analysis
Figure 7 Figure 8
Figure 9 Figure 10
make-up of the main character to reflect the period of his adolescence to old age.
chronological orders. Yet, there is a flashback when the main character finally
viewer infers from the main character’s journey. This entire period is presented in
plot duration. The use of flashback allows the plot to concentrate its revelation of
story material into a very short period. But there is also screen duration, or
running time about 135 minutes. Here, an event that takes only a few moments in
the story is stretched out to several minutes of the screen time by means of the
b. Mise-en-scène in Space
Beautiful Mind, the events tend to occur in Princeton, New Jersey where Nash’s
live. As the writer said before that the story time in this film takes place over forty
The realism in settings is largely a matter of viewing conventions. The inter titles
also use to construct the space in the film (see Figure 1 and 2 in p. 36; appendix 3
about mise-en-scène in time and space; and Figure 11 and 12 below). In Figure 2
(p. 36) shows that the events occur in Princeton University. In Figure 3 (p. 36)
53
Ibid, p. 72.
shows the events occur in the Pentagon. In Figure 11 (below) shows the events
occur in Wheeler Defense Labs M.I.T. Campus. In Figure 12 (below) shows the
Conference.
Figure 11 Figure 12
is important to support the narrative. There are a lot of details that had to have
gone into considering the basic elements in costume and set design. The
characters follow the standard fashion. For example, in 1950s, the women wear
the popular circle skirt and their hair is wavy (Figure 13 and 14).
Figure 13 Figure 14
The scene probably is a fairly accurate depiction of the way male graduate
students might have talked in the 1950s while having a beer (Figure 15). The
graduate student Nash and some male friends are having drinks in a bar when a
group of attractive women walk in. One of the women is a particularly attractive
Figure 15 Figure 16
John Nash : […] Does anyone else feel she should be moving in slow
motion?
Bender : Will she want a large wedding, ya think?
Sol : Shall we say swords, gentlemen? Pistols at dawn?
A pen in A Beautiful Mind becomes a prop for Nash as the main character.
At the beginning of the film’s plot, the pen is used by Nash to find his original
idea. For example, there is a shot of Nash’s hand when he is doing his work
(Figure 17). Later, Nash uses the pen to find hidden code in select periodicals
(Figure 18). In the end of the film, a pen is reserved for a member of the
department, Nash that makes the achievement of a lifetime (Figure 19) and makes
Figure 17 Figure 18
Figure 19
portion of A Beautiful Mind, the settings and costumes are mostly brown and
black to create gloomy atmosphere and to show the condition of Nash that suffers
from schizophrenia. Besides, black, brown, and blue color become motif that
woman’s dress in local bar (Figure 20) and Alicia’s dress (Figure 21). In the film,
only the women wear red color has interacted with Nash. The red color of the
women’s dress represents the meaning of love that Nash looks for. The changing
of lighting and color schemes is also to emphasize the condition of the main
character. For example, Figure 22 shows the condition of Nash suffers from
shows the condition of Nash after he has some treatments when he plays Go with
Hansen in his old age. The filmmaker uses the same place to depict the change of
lighting and color schemes and to emphasize the condition of the main character.
Figure 22 Figure 23
2. Cinematography
Bordwell (1993) said that the aspects of cinematography in film have two
functions. First, film style can function to support and enhance narrative form.
Second, film style may become separate from narrative and attracting our
attention in its own right.54 Related to A Beautiful Mind as the object of analysis,
will be located on the screen. Deep focus cinematography techniques also support
the main character, Nash who suffers from schizophrenia where Nash’s world
seemed to be closing in on him (for example, Figure 24 and 25). These techniques
Figure 24 Figure 25
54
Ibid, p. 144
Howard also directs the viewer’s attention by using deep-space mise-en-
scène (figure behavior and lighting placement in space (Figure 26 and 27). The
viewer can watch the characters’ expression (Figure 28 and 29) because they play
frontally.
Figure 26 Figure 27
Figure 28 Figure 29
As the main character, Nash is presented in every scene and everything the
viewers learn gets tunneled through him. Most of the film is restricted to Nash’s
These techniques are also to emphasize the schizophrenia of the main character.
At certain points, however the narration becomes more unrestricted. This occurs
55
Ibid, p. 201.
when Nash is taken to psychiatric hospital. The viewer is allowed to see other
character’s perspective and therefore the truth of Nash’s illness. This is achieved
by coupling POV shots, first what Nash’s sees, then the reality of what the other
character sees. At the climax, when Parcher asked Nash to kill his wife, there is a
flashback when Nash recalling the past. The shot of Marcee, Charles, Nash
himself, Dr. Rosen, Alicia, and Parcher appear in the frame in short by using cut,
dissolve, and framing techniques when flashback. Then, Nash realizes that Alicia
The framing also emphasizes the narrative form in this film. Howard uses
medium shot and close up to show Nash’s expression clearly and the awkward
gesture of Nash. Because of the way it is shot, the viewer is more effectively
brought into the full range of emotions that is experienced by the main character
throughout the film, which makes the story not only more enjoyable, but also
The film uses subtle special effects to illuminate the idea of Nash’s
special effects are key is when John's working out an equation or coming to a
conclusion. This flash of light is present when John works anything out. This
women. Another notable area of special effects are a scene where ray of sun in a
glass to the orange and end in a tie (Figure 30, 31, and 32), where numbers pop
out in different sequences during a code breaking (Figure 33 and 34), and where
Nash connects the stars to make designs for Alicia (Figure 35).
Figure 30 Figure 31
Figure 32 Figure 33
Figure 34 Figure 35
3. Sound
The sound in A Beautiful Mind works well to tell the story of Nash’s
diegetic sound only appear when Nash plays phonograph (see Appendix 3). On
the other hand, nondiegetic sound becomes motif in this film. The score,
instrumentation, all working to convey the complexity of the character and the
mood of his abstract world for example, when Nash doing his job as code breaker.
The use of Charlotte Church as vocal background conveys not only grace but also
a more mature timbre that seems to inspire awe quite well. The nondiegetic sound
As the story progresses, as with all scores for film, there are not only
certain themes of numbers and theories that continue to reemerge, but also there
are variations to give a sense of passage of time that has taken place. All of this
narrative story line. The filmmakers consider the synchronization of sound in the
film. They are correctly aligning the visual and audio portions of a film so that the
be seen from the main character who suffers from the mental illness through his
following analysis, the writer will explain every symptom that is suffered by the
visual hallucination later. This is not only provides a visual clue, but establishes
literature student at Princeton University in 1947. While Nash looking through the
window, he heard a voice of someone speaks in his room. The camera pans
quickly to the right side, from Nash’s POV shot, we see a man enters the room
and introduces himself as Nash’s roommate (Figure 36) and then leaves him alone
in his room. In Figure 37, a shot of Nash’s expressions of wonder in medium shot
Figure 36 Figure 37
Man : Oh, Christ. The prodigal roommate arrives.
John Nash : Roommate?
Man : […] John Nash?
John Nash : Hello.
Man : Charles Herman. Pleased to meet you.
Nash wonders when Charles comes to his dorm room by saying
“roommate?” This word indicates his surprise. Nash guides the viewer that he is
not sure whether Charles is real or not. We know later that Charles is Nash’s
dialogue below, Nash feels betrayed by Charles because he thinks Charles tells the
Russians that he works for the government (see Appendix 3). Though Dr. Rosen
says there is no one, Nash keeps telling Dr. Rosen that Charles is in the room.
John Nash : Charles? Charles? I didn't mean to get you involved in this.
I'm- I'm sorry. Charles? The prodigal roommate revealed.
"Saw my name on the lecture slate." You lying son of a
bitch!
Dr. Rosen : Who are you talking to? Tell me who you see.
John Nash : How do you say, "Charles Herman" in Russian? How do
you say it in Russian?
Dr. Rosen : There's no one there, John. There's no one there.
John Nash : He's right there. He's right there.
Dr. Rosen tells Alicia that Nash is schizophrenic. Nash’s first hallucination
is Charles. Dr. Rosen tells Alicia that Nash does not have a roommate because he
Dr. Rosen : Possibly since graduate school? At least that's when his
hallucinations seem to have begun.
Alicia : What are you talking about? What hallucinations?
Dr. Rosen : One, so far, that I am aware of. An imaginary roommate
named Charles Herman.
[…]
Dr. Rosen : I phoned Princeton. According to their housing records,
John lived alone.
The other proof that Charles is only Nash’s hallucination is from the
camera shot. The film’s narrative requires us to take narrator’s version within
Nash’s knowledge. The director reinforces this by using mental subjectivity shot
However, it is interesting how this is done in such way that at first the viewer is
part of the constructed inner world of Nash and cannot separates the real from
fiction. Then the viewer is slowly allowed into the reality of the other character’s
perspective for example, Figure 39, 40, and 41. It happens when Nash realized
Figure 38 Figure 39
Figure 40 Figure 41
From the Figures above, in Figure 38, a low angle from Nash’s POV shot,
we see Charles asks him to say to Martin that he is genius. A tracks shot from
Hansen’s POV, we see no one there (Figure 39) and tracks back to see Nash’s
reaction to ignore what Charles said (Figure 40). In Figure 41 we can see
William Parcher, a government agent that seeks out Nash’s intelligence in the
field of code-breaking. While Nash going outside after his work in M.I.T,
someone called his name. The camera zoom in seeing Nash walking outside the
room and pans to the right side to a voice behind him, ending with a framing on a
man standing outside (Figure 43). Nash stops and looks back (Figure 42) to a man
Figure 42 Figure 43
Man : Professor Nash. William Parcher. Big Brother... at your
service.
John Nash : What can I do for the Department of Defense? Are you here
to give me a raise?
secret agent he always wears black suit as the stereotype of a secret agent. He is
the only man in the film who always wears hat that interact with Nash. He even
wears it indoors and never put off, and in American culture it is considered
impolite. He does not wear his hat except in his own office. Here, the director
guides the viewer that Parcher will be the key of Nash delusional thinking.
The first proof, that William Parcher is only Nash’s hallucination, is when
Dr. Rosen asked Alicia to get the details of her husband’s work to clarify things
her husband, goes to see what Nash done in his office (Figure 44), visits a drop-
box in an empty house (Figure 45 and 46) and retrieves the never-opened "top
Figure 44
Figure 45 Figure 46
From the Figures above, Figure 44, we see Alicia and Nash’s friend when
they are in Nash’s office. In Figure 45 in long shot of Alicia from the back and
Figure 46, in medium shot, we see Alicia’s expression when she saw the house. In
reality, Nash’s work seems scary and weird to other people, the secret location is
an abandoned, dilapidated mansion, and the key pad that Nash types his code into
no longer function.
In the hospital Alicia tells Nash that there is no William Parcher and
shows him the document (Figure 47) that Nash done the work as code breaker.
When confronted with this evidence, Nash is finally convinced that he has been
The other hallucination of Nash is Marcee, Charles’ niece. In the film, the
Charles: Well, my niece knows that, John, and she's about this high.
Later, Marcee appears while Nash doing his job, he heard someone ask
him. The camera tilts up and through Nash’s POV shot, we see a young girl
(Figure 49).
Figure 49
Marcee : What are you doing?
John Nash : I'm attempting to isolate patterned reoccurrences... within
periodicals over time. And you?
Marcee : You talk funny, Mr. Nash.
John Nash : Do I know you?
Marcee : My uncle says you're very smart... but not very nice, so I
shouldn't pay no mind if you're mean to me.
John Nash : And who might your uncle be?
Charles : The prodigal roommate... returns. Come here.
John Nash : Charles, Charles, Charles.
Nash feels strange about the appearance of Marcee by saying “Do I know
you?” Nash himself is not sure whether Marcee is real or not. In the film, Charles
tells Nash that his sister died in a car accident because his sister’s husband was too
interact with another girl except Alicia. In this film, there are only three girls that
really interact with Nash. The first is the blonde girl which Nash flubs a
Marcee), Nash hallucinates that he ever goes to the Pentagon to break the code
schizophrenic. It happens while bathing his infant son; Nash becomes distracted
and wanders off. Alicia barely manages to save their child from drowning. When
she confronts Nash, he claims that his friend Charles was watching their son.
Alicia runs to the phone to call the psychiatric hospital for emergency assistance.
Charles, Marcee, and Parcher all appear to Nash and urge him to kill his wife
rather than allow her to lock him up again. After Alicia flees the house in terror,
Nash steps in front of her car to prevent her from leaving (see Appendix 3). After
a moment, Nash states "She never gets old" as he observes that Marcee is the
same age that she was when he first met her several years before and he realizes
that Alicia and Charles never coexist in the same interactive field. Here, we know
John Nash : I understand. She never gets old. Marcee can't be real. She
never gets old.
continues to stay “in contact” with Nash through out his adult life and later this
hallucination. Charles and Marcee fulfilled his need for companionship, family
(he is called Uncle), and belonging. Another example is William Parcher. Parcher
appears a time where Nash does not feel his work is greatly important. Parcher
tells Nash that Nash is exactly what he needs and no other person can do what
Nash does. Parcher may represent Nash’s desire to be needed. He appealed to his
environment actually caused the sensation. In the film, Nash believes an implant
to be planted in his arm (Figure 50). The device allows Nash to see a code under a
Figure 50 Figure 51
William Parcher : That's got a little zap to it, doesn't it? He just
implanted a radium diode. Don't worry, it's safe. The
isotope decays predictably. As a result, these numbers
change overtime. They're the access codes to your
drop spot.
After Alicia tells Nash that he has been hallucinating, there is an intense
scene presented, where Nash tries to remove an implant that believes to be planted
Figure 52
b. Delusions
government aide that is helping the U.S. finds bombs throughout the country that
were placed here by the Russians because he is the best code breaker. This is
shown in the scene when Nash was invited to the Pentagon to break the code. He
Parcher who hooks him up for further classified project. When Parcher meets
Nash walking out from M.I.T., he tells Nash that he saw Nash’s performance at
The Pentagon.
Parcher offers Nash a job working on a top secret mission to find hidden
that he is the best code breaker. In Figure 53, from Parcher’s POV shot, we see
Nash’s expression of proud when he heard that he is the best natural code-breaker.
Figure 53
William Parcher : By telling you what I'm about to tell you, I am
increasing your security clearance... to top secret.
Disclosure of secure information can result in
imprisonment. Get it?
John Nash : What operation? Those are a good idea.
[…]
William Parcher : […] You see, John, what distinguishes you... is that
you are, quite simply, the best natural code-breaker I
have ever seen.
John Nash : What exactly is it that you would like me to do?
William Parcher : Commit this list of periodicals to memory. Scan each
new issue, find any hidden codes, decipher them.
influencing him in various ways, as with complicated gadgets which send out
waves that interfere with his thoughts or “poor filth” into his mind.
In this film, Nash’s delusion of influence is shown in the scene in which
top secret mission to seek out secret messages in mainstream media that Russian
belief that he is the best code breaker. Nash’s delusion of grandeur as the best
Figure 54
William Parcher : Commit this list of periodicals to memory. Scan each
new issue, find any hidden codes, decipher them.
increasingly paranoid and begins to behave erratically. Nash tells Parcher that he
wants to quit from the job because Alicia is pregnant, but Parcher influences Nash
to keep working for him by saying that the Russians know that Nash has been
working for him. So, if Nash quit, Parcher will not keep Nash safety from the
Russians. He is showing his gun to Nash when he says that (Figure 55). In Figure
56, we see Nash’s expression of fear when he heard what Parcher said.
Figure 55 Figure 56
John Nash : William, my circumstance has changed. Alicia's
pregnant.
William Parcher : I told you attachments were dangerous. You chose to
marry the girl. I did nothing to prevent it. The best
way to ensure everybody's safety... is for you to
continue your work.
John Nash : Well, I'll just quit.
William Parcher : You won't.
John Nash : Why would I not?
William Parcher : Because I keep the Russians from knowing you work
for us. You quit working for me, I quit working for
you.
hospital. In this case, his delusions reappear when he stops his medication
silhouette of a man outside his house. He goes outside the house to the back of his
house and surprises when he meets Parcher there. He thinks Parcher is not real
because Dr. Rosen says that Nash is schizophrenic who cannot distinguish
between what is real and not. Yet, Parcher influences him that it is impossible to
list their personnel in Wheeler because they are a secret agent. Parcher apologizes
to Nash and asks Nash to go back to work as a code breaker. Nash believes in
William Parcher : It's good to see you, John. It's been a while.
John Nash : Parcher?
William Parcher : Yes, sir.
John Nash : You're not real!
[…]
John Nash : Dr. Rosen said-
William Parcher : Rosen! That quack! "Schizophrenic break from
reality", right? Psychological bullshit! Look at me,
John. John, look at me. Do I look like I'm imagined?
John Nash : Wheeler has no record of you.
William Parcher : Do you think we list our personnel? John, I'm sorry
you had to go through all this. I've gone to a great
deal of trouble to get you back. I can restore your
status at Wheeler. I can let the world know what you
did. But I need you now, soldier.
John Nash : I was so scared you weren't real.
hallucination friends to kill his wife. It happens while bathing his infant son; Nash
becomes distracted and wanders off. Alicia barely manages to save their child
from drowning. When she confronts Nash, he claims that his friend Charles was
watching their son. Alicia runs to the phone to call the psychiatric hospital for
emergency assistance. Parcher appears to Nash and urges him to kill his wife
rather than allow her to lock him up again. In Figure 57, from Nash’s POV shot,
we see Parcher talks to Nash. In Figure 58, we see Alicia carries the baby and
looks back, but no one there. In Figure 59, we see there are only Nash and Alicia.
This is a scene when Nash tries pulls Parcher away from his wife because he tries
to shot Alicia.
Figure 57 Figure 58
Figure 59
William Parcher : You've got to stop her, John.
John Nash : You leave her out of this.
Alicia : Who are you talking to?
John Nash : It's not her fault.
Alicia : John.
William Parcher : She'll compromise us again.
John Nash : No, she won't. You'll go back to the hospital.
Alicia : John, answer me!
William Parcher : Countless people will die.
John Nash : Alicia, please, put the phone down.
William Parcher : I can't let that happen.
Alicia : Yes, hello? Hi, I need Dr. Rosen. Is he in?
William Parcher : I'm sorry, John.
John Nash : No-oo! Alicia? [Baby crying]
William Parcher : You know what you have to do, Nash.
Alicia : Get away from me.
In this time, Charles also tries to convince Nash to do what Parcher says
and tries to influence Nash by saying that he is a useless man. In Figure 60, we
see Parcher follows Nash and tries to influence him. In Figure 61, a shot of Nash
in long shot tries to ignore Parcher. In Figure 62, a shot of Hansen who tries to
Figure 60 Figure 61
Figure 62
William Parcher : Is this what you are, soldier? Some useless ghoul? The
local madman?
John Nash : I'm not a soldier.
William Parcher : You're gonna end up in a cell! Old, worthless,
discarded.
John Nash : There's no mission.
environment seem to be directly related to him even though they are not. For
example, it may seem as if people are talking about him or special personal
messages are being communicated to him through the TV, radio, or other media.
In the film, Nash has delusion of reference in which people are talking
about him. Because his job as secret agent, he feels the Russians are spying him.
In Figure 63, the scene at the governor’s party, the camera pan right to see a group
of individuals talking together through a shot from Nash’s POV shot and cut to
Figure 64, a shot of Nash and Alicia. Here, Nash is convinced that they are talking
Figure 63 Figure 64
are persecuting him. After being chased by the Russians and an exchange of
gunfire, Nash becomes weird. He comes home late and Alicia asks him why he
did not call her, but Nash just walking through Alicia to the room and locks the
door. Alicia wonders and asks Nash to open the door (see Appendix 3).
Alicia : […] John... Please, talk to me. Tell me what happened. John,
open the door. Come on, open the door! Let me in! Talk to me!
John! Open the door!
Nash becomes increasingly paranoid and to behave erratically in his class.
through the window. The next shot (Figure 66), a high angle through the window
toward the street outside, shows us people walks out from the car from his point
of view. The camera pan left (Figure 67), a straight-on angle of the students in a
class, shows us what Nash sees, from his point of view. In Figure 68, we see
Nash’s expression after he is looking into the window and see the students.
Figure 65 Figure 66
Figure 67 Figure 68
When Nash meets Parcher, he tells him that he afraid of his dangerously
John Nash : William. This is not what I signed on for. Every time a
car backfires or a door slams-
William Parcher : I understand- better than you could possibly imagine.
You need to calm down, John. […]
Nash also acts so strange in his house. He becomes angry when Alicia
turns the light on of his room. He also asks Alicia to go to her sister’s house and
not too far from the crowd but Alicia refused (see Appendix 3).
John Nash : Turn it off! Turn off the light! Why would you do that? Why
would you turn the light on?
Alicia : What is wrong with you?
John Nash : You have to go to your sister's. I left the car out the back.
You take Commonwealth. No side streets, you stay where
it's crowded.
the center of the universe, the blare is a signal from his persecutors.56 This is
shown when Nash finally looking carefully through the window (Figure 69). The
next shot in Figure 70, a straight-on angle through the window toward the street
outside, shows us a man park his car from his point of view.
Figure 69 Figure 70
As the writer said before that the hallucination of William Parcher is the
key factor in Nash’s delusional thinking, all the delusions and hallucinations that
56
James D. Page (1947), op. cit. p. 255.
observing Nash’s behavior, Alicia informs a psychiatric hospital. Later, while
believes that the Soviets were trying to extract information from him, and that
agents named Dr. Rosen. In fact, Dr. Rosen tells Alicia that Nash is a paranoid
ideas coherently. The speech of people with schizophrenia may be garbled or hard
to understand.
The thought and speech disorder of Nash is shown in his rhyme (clang
associations) statements. This is shown in the scene when Nash shows the
symptom through his words when he is challenged by his friend, Hansen to play
and folded.”
Martin Hansen : Nash is going to stun us all with his genius. Which is
another way of saying... he doesn't have the nerve to
compete. You scared?
John Nash : Terrified. Mortified. Petrified. Stupefied... by you. No
starch. Pressed and folded.
According to Wiramihardja (2005), schizophrenic person sometimes
suddenly shouting to say his word,57 it also happens with the main character in A
Beautiful Mind. There is a scene when Nash tells Charles that he tries to find his
original idea, he works out dense calculations on the leaded-glass windows of his
mortals.” He emphasizes the word of “lesser mortals” with high tone. From the
Figure 71 below, we see people looking up when they heard Nash shouting.
Figure 71
John Nash : You know half these schoolboys are already published? I
cannot waste time with these classes... and these books.
Memorizing the weaker assumptions of lesser mortals!
Another scene also shows that Nash suddenly shouting to say his word. It
happens when Nash spends his days in library. Nash tells Charles that he cannot
even find a topic for his doctorate while his friend already published another
paper. Nash tells Charles again that he is trying to find his original idea. Yet,
Charles interrupts Nash’s sentence and asks when Nash last eat. He tells Nash that
he has no respect for cognitive reverie and only has enormous respect for pizza
and beer. Later, Charles is going outside library and followed by Nash which says
“I have respect for beer” in high tone. From the Figure 72 below, we see other
57
Sutardjo A. Wiramihardja (2005), op. cit. p. 143
Figure 72
John Nash : See, if I could derive an equilibrium... where prevalence is a
non-singular event, where nobody loses, can you imagine
the effect that would have... on conflict scenarios, and arms
negotiations...
Charles : When did you last eat? When did you last eat?
John Nash : currency exchange?
Charles : You know food.
John Nash : You have no respect for cognitive reverie, you know that?
Charles : Yes. But pizza- Now, pizza I have enormous respect for. And
of course beer.
John Nash : I have respect for beer. I have respect for beer!
capable to tell how people are plotting against him.58 This is also shown when
Nash tells that the Russians are spying him and asks someone to call the
John Nash : […] Stop! I don't know anything! Stop! I- I don't know
anything! My name is John Nash. I'm being held against my
will. Somebody call the Department of Defense. My name is
John Nash. I'm being held against my will!
Nash also tells Alicia that the Russian plotted against him. His stating it
quite coherently that he is doing top secret work for government and the Russians
try to stop his work by keeping him in psychiatric hospital because they feels
threatened. In Figure 73, we see Nash tells the story with curios looking around
58
Ibid, p. 146.
because he afraid that Russian heard what he is going to say. In Figure 74, we see
Figure 73 Figure 74
John Nash : Everything's gonna be all right. Everything's gonna be all
right. We just have to talk quietly. They may be listening.
There may be microphones. I'm gonna tell you everything
now. It's breaking with protocol... but you need to know,
because you have to help me get out of here. I've been
doing top secret work for the government. There's a threat
that exists... of catastrophic proportions. I think the
Russians feel my profile is too high. That's why they simply
just don't do away with me. They're keeping me here to try
to stop me... from doing my work. You have to get to
Wheeler. You have to find William Parcher.
d. Disturbance of Emotional
Nevid et al., (2005), quoting Berenbaum & Oltmanns (1990), define that there is
not clear enough whether the disturbance of emotional of people suffering from
waiter by Hansen (Figure 75). It is because he wears bow tie and baggy suit. In
through his minimal facial expression. It happen when he lost the game when he
plays Go with Hansen (Figure 77). Another shot (Figure 78) shows his minimal
Figure 77 Figure 78
baby who cries without any expression and without trying to stop the baby to cry
(Figure 79).
e. Disturbance of Motor Behavior
wave or gesture wildly. They also often engage in repetitive, but apparently
purposeless behavior.
when shaking hand to someone (Figure 80, 81, and 82); he does not see people’s
face. He also does not see people’s face when they are talking (Figure 83).
Figure 80 Figure 81
Figure 82 Figure 83
From the Figures above, Figure 80, we see Nash shaking hand with his
friend and talking to people (Figure 83) without looking their face when he does
not realize that he has one of the symptoms of schizophrenia. In Figure 81 and
Figure 82, we see Nash is still shaking hand with people without looking their
face. These happen he does some treatments to recover his mental illness. We can
also see lighting and color schemes are gradually change from the Figures above.
He also shows his awkward gestures when he talks to someone. It is
shown when he talks to Hansen that there is no innovative idea in Hansen’s paper
(Figure 84), when Alicia invites Nash to go dinner (Figure 85), and when Nash
tells Charles that he meets a girl and wants to marry her (Figure 86). All of these
Figure 87, shows Nash’s awkward gestures after he has a treatment. From the
Figures below, we can see lighting and color schemes are gradually change.
Figure 84 Figure 85
Figure 86 Figure 87
f. Social withdrawal
university, he tells Charles that he does not like them, and they do not much like
them either. Charles’ opinion emphasizes what Nash says about himself that he
Fixated on his search for an original idea, Nash separates himself from
people further. He spends days on end in the campus library, works out dense
classroom instruction.
When Nash works in M.I.T. and meets Parcher, he tells Parcher that he
does not like people or they do not much like them either.
with an attractive woman in a bar by saying “essentially we’re talking about fluid
John Nash : I don't exactly know what I'm required to say... in order for
you to have intercourse with me, but could we assume that I
said all that? Essentially we're talking about fluid
exchange, right? So, could we just go straight to the sex?
Woman : Oh, that was sweet. Have a nice night, asshole!
Nash also busies with his work as secret agent and almost forgets that he
John Nash : Alicia, please don't be angry. I just lost track of time at
work... again.
other people and creates his imaginary friend. His world seemed to be closing in
on him.
Nash has inability to sustain attention. He does not seem focus to find a
topic for his doctorate while all his friends already finished. Nash’s professor asks
him to focus.
Nash also has inability to sustain attention when he has a date with Alicia.
Figure 88 Figure 89
Alicia : Here. Me. Your date?
The film’s narration end with end titles (Figure 90 and 91) “Nash’s
theories have influenced global trade negotiations, national labor relations, and
New Jersey. John keeps regular office hours in the mathematics Department. He
still walks to campus everyday.” The end titles make closure interpretation that
Nash improves enough to live a more normal life, even though his hallucinations
Figure 90 Figure 91
A Beautiful Mind makes schizophrenia visible and suggests that those who
suffer from it are not unlike the rest of us. The film makes us wonder whether
Nash, through his intense study, might have precipitated or hastened a condition
that was already inevitable. By embracing creative thought, the film asks, does
one give conventional thinking up and with it one’s grasp on stability? Once that
door to change thinking is opened, are will and sanity potentially sacrificed?
In fact, Nash fight his way back and find a way to do his work, to be a
husband and to function somewhat normally, even though his hallucinations and
A. Conclusion
schizophrenia suffered by John Nash depicted in the film. The film utilizes all the
techniques of the film. The structure of the story in A Beautiful Mind use standard
pattern. In the film, John Nash as the main character tries to reach his goal by
finding his own original idea. At same point he does not realize that he is
schizophrenic. He faces all the problems and finally reaches his goal. He
Nobel Prize. The plot and story is in chronological structure although there is a
flashback.
The filmmaker manages to take the viewer on the exact same journey as
the protagonist, John Nash. He prevents it from being a tale about people
watching some crazy guy on the street corner talking to himself. He does it to
make the viewer believe what Nash believes and take their reality away from
them.
A Beautiful Mind tells a story that takes place over about forty years (from
1940s to 1990s). The plot cues us to construct story duration which the viewer
infers from the main character’s journey. This entire period is presented in plot
duration. The screen duration is about 135 minutes. Here, an event that takes only
a few moments in the story is stretched out to several minutes of the screen time
by means of the film technique. The uses of film techniques to manipulate time
and space is to guide the viewer to the development of Nash’s life. The events
create its own style. The techniques of film like props, lighting, color schemes and
techniques of the shot to play the role to construct narrative. The choice of
cinematic techniques creates a style to support and enhance narrative form, and
The film tells the story of real-life mathematician John Nash’s struggle
with schizophrenia from his college days to the time he is awarded the Nobel
Prize several decades later. With a scene-by-scene analysis, the writer points out
to sustain attention.
B. Suggestion
To analyze film or literary work, researchers should use the right theory or
approach in order to have the right comprehension of the film or literary work
itself. In this occasion, the writer uses theories of schizophrenia and film structure
in analyzing film “A Beautiful Mind,” but it is possible for the other researches to
use another theory or approach in analyzing this film for example, sociological
approach to understand the value of being a human of the main character in the
film. The other researchers who want to analyze this film can also use some
aspects in film that are used by the writer to get a broader comprehension of the
film.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books:
Bordwell, David, and Kristin Thompson. 1993. Film Art: An Introduction, 4th ed.
New York: Mcgraw-Hill Inc.
Boggs, Joseph M., and Dennis W. Petrie. 2000. The Art of Watching Films, 5th ed.
U.S.A: Mayfield Publishing Company.
-------. 1986. The Art of Watching Film. Penerjemah, Asrul Sani Jakarta: Yayasan
Citra.
Coleman, James C., and William E. Broen, Jr. 1972. Abnormal Psychology and
Modern Life. United States of America: University of California at Los
Angeles.
Darley, John M, et. al. 1986. Psychology, 3 rd ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.
Nevid, Jeffrey S, et al. 2005. Psikologi Abnormal. (Jilid 1 dan Jilid 2, judul asli:
Abnormal Psychology in a Changing World 5th Edition). Jakarta: Erlangga.
Winarto, Yunita T. et al. 2004. Karya Tulis Ilmiah Sosial: Menyiapkan, Menulis,
dan Mencermatinya, edisi 1. Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia.
Websites:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/schizophrenia/page9_em.htm, accessed on
January 8, 2008.
http://www.veryabc.cn/movie/uploads/script/abeautifulmind.txt, accessed on
January 21, 2008.
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/All-Love-Can-Be-lyrics-Charlotte-
Church/CF3073AE2AD7BC9248256C050009D438, accessed on November
20, 2008.
Appendix 1.
A Beautiful Mind
Film
Figure 1
2. Mise-en-scène in
Time and Space:
Figure 2.1 shows
the time on
October 1954 when
he drops a
document in a
house; Figure 2.2
Figure 2.1 Figure 2.2 shows the time of
Nash’s life a year
later; Figure 2.3
shows the time on
April 1956; Figure
2.4 shows the time
of Nash’s life two
months later;
Figure 2.5 shows
Figure 2.3 Figure 2.4 the time of Nash’s
life on October
1978; Figure 2.6
shows the time of
Nash’s life on
March 1994; and
Figure 2.7 shows
the time of Nash’s
life when he
Figure 2.5 Figure 2.6 receives a Nobel
Prize on December
1994.
Figure 2.7
3. Diegetic sound
appear when Nash
is playing
phonograph and
Charles comes
enter the room and
turn it off.
Figure 3
4. A crane shot from
Nash’s POV shot
(Figure 4.1), we
see Charles is
sitting in another
place and In Figure
4.2, a shot of Nash
lay on the floor
Figure 4.1 Figure 4.2 looking at Charles
when he feels
betrayed.
5. In Figure 5.1, a
medium shot of
Nash when he is
shaking hand with
a General.
In Figure 5.2, we
see Nash in a secret
laboratory.
Figure 5.1 Figure 5.2
6. The turning point,
where he finds out
that what he
believed to be true
was not. It becomes
apparent that Nash
suffers from
schizophrenia and
Figure 6 elements of his life
are fictitious.
7. Nash’s delusion of
influence when
Parcher asks him to
kill Alicia and
Charles tries to
convince him to do
what Parcher says
and Marcee also
Figure 7.1 Figure 7.2 appears.
The Figures is
taken from Nash’s
POV.
8. Nash’s delusion of
persecution in which
the Russians are
persecuting him.
After being chased
by the Russians and
an exchange of
gunfire, Nash
Figure 8.1 Figure 8.2 becomes weird when
he arrives at home.
Formal 2004-2009
Education State Islamic University “Syarif Hidayatullah” Jakarta
Majoring in English Literature
2001-2004
SMUN 66 Jakarta
1999-2001
SLTPN 85 Jakarta
1992-1998
SDN Pondok Labu 03 Pagi Jakarta
Teaching English
Informal 2003
Education English Courses at Basic Level at Lembaga Bahasa dan
Pendidikan Profesional LIA Fatmawati Jakarta
2004
Japanese Courses at Lembaga Pendidikan Manajemen
Informatika dan Komputer (LPMIK) Bekasi
Appendix 3. Figures of Schizophrenia in A Beautiful Mind Film
Figure 1
2. Mise-en-scène in Time
and Space: Figure 2.1
shows the time on
October 1954 when he
drops a document in a
house; Figure 2.2 shows
the time of Nash’s life a
year later; Figure 2.3
shows the time on April
Figure 2.1 Figure 2.2 1956; Figure 2.4 shows
the time of Nash’s life
two months later;
Figure 2.5 shows the
time of Nash’s life on
October 1978; Figure
2.6 shows the time of
Nash’s life on March
1994; and Figure 2.7
shows the time of
Figure 2.3 Figure 2.4 Nash’s life when he
receives a Nobel Prize
on December 1994.
Figure 2.7
3. Diegetic sound appear
when Nash is playing
phonograph and
Charles comes enter the
room and turn it off.
Figure 3
4. A crane shot from
Nash’s POV shot
(Figure 4.1), we see
Charles is sitting in
another place and In
Figure 4.2, a shot of
Nash lay on the floor
looking at Charles
when he feels betrayed.
Figure 4.1 Figure 4.2
5. In Figure 5.1, a medium
shot of Nash when he is
shaking hand with a
General.
In Figure 5.2, we see
Nash in a secret
laboratory.
Figure 5.1 Figure 5.2
6. The turning point,
where we find out that
what we believed to be
true was not. It
becomes apparent that
John suffers from
schizophrenia and
elements of his life are
fictitious.
Figure 6
7. Nash’s delusion of
influence when Parcher
asks him to kill Alicia
and Charles tries to
convince him to do
what Parcher says and
Marcee also appears.
The Figures is taken
from Nash’s POV.
Figure 7.1 Figure 7.2
8. Nash’s delusion of
persecution in which
the Russians are
persecuting him. After
being chased by the
Russians and an
exchange of gunfire,
Nash becomes weird
when he arrives at
home.