COMM 220: Introduction to Film: Circulating Books

In this book, Dr. James Charney, a practicing psychiatrist and long-time cinephile, examines films that delve deeply into characters' inner worlds, and analyzes moments that help define their particular mental illness. Based on the highly popular course that Charney taught at Yale University, the book introduces readers to films that may be new to them, and encourages them to view these films in an entirely new way. Charney's choice of movies covers an array of disorders, including psychosis, paranoia, psychopathy, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety. He examines how these stories work to convey the essence of each illness, and reflect the understanding of mental illness at the time each film was released, as well as the culture that shaped that understanding.