La Tête Contre les Murs (1958)
Directed by Georges Franju
Genres - Drama |
Sub-Genres - Psychological Drama |
Run Time - 95 min. |
Countries - France |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
La Tete Contre Les Muirs (U.S. title: The Keepers) was director Georges Franju's 2nd cinematic offering for 1958, and his first purely fictional film. Franju's prior training in documentaries helps to bring a veneer of reality to this harrowing glimpse within the walls of an insane asylum. Pierre Brasseur plays Marbeau, a traditionalist "head doctor" who takes on the case of young Francois (Jean-Paul Mocky). Though not really insane, Francois has been institutionalized for daring to defy his wealthy father. The story is told from Francois' point of view, as he teeters on the edge of madness during his involuntary internment. The film is essentially a plea for more sensible treatment of the mentally disturbed and the emotionally distressed, calling for much-needed widespread reforms -- something that, alas, was not readily forthcoming in the late 1950s.
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Themes
Keywords
asylum [mental hospital], false-accusation, insanity, psychiatrist