A Beautiful Mind (DVD 2002)

"A Beautiful Mind" explores the tangent experience of the schizophrenic main character, but more than that, it invites the audience into the experience of schizophrenia itself. The film accomplishes this feat quite convincingly from its onset, as the main character's hallucinations are indistinguishable to the viewer. Eventually the main character's delusions become evident, but the powerful thrust of the plot of the film resides long within the viewer as a result of joining the main character in his delusional world. It is not until the end of the film that the viewer realizes that the lens through which the plot is revealed is that of the mentally ill character.
This feature of the film leaves the viewer with a first-hand knowledge of the schizophrenic experience and a lingering admiration for those people who live their daily lives through the schizophrenic lens. A landmark film to be lauded for its bravery in lovingly tackling this often misunderstood mental illness which is frequently marginalized and demonized by hegemonic society.