The Portrayal of Tuberculosis in Cinema

Undoubtedly, art is intrigued by human pain, its’ management by man and its’ consequences in various aspects of his life. Moreover, creation and inspiration often result from difficult periods of ones’ life associated with grief and suffering. Infectious diseases which have taken the form of plagues, like tuberculosis, are also linked to these negative feelings. Therefore, they have also been a significant source of inspiration for various art forms. In this paper, we will analyze the relation between cinema and tuberculosis, examining the ways in which it has been treated in relation to human behavior in a number of different cases. Throughout history, mankind has suffered from plenty of infectious diseases which have shaped or even altered history and social evolution. A large number of them have been significant enough to affect how and where we live, our economies, our cultures and daily habits. Moreover, many of the effects they have had on people’s lives and their general welfare continue long after the diseases have been eliminated. (Whittaker, 2017). Illness, as a notion, in everyday life, is mostly linked to pain and constant suffering. Upon the hearing of the word disease, one is inclined to recall memories of grief. The disease in real life coincides with pessimism and seems to exclude the pleasures of life of the people affected. One of these plagues which has infected man and has been particularly connected to suffering is tuberculosis. Art has always been interested in events which have shaped social evolution. Moreover, it often depicts human pain and the various consequences it has triggered in the history of mankind. As tuberculosis has been an important plague for man, it has also been a subject for various arts, like literature, in the novels of Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Crime and Punishment 1866, Demons 1872, The Idiot 1869) and Thomas Mann (The Magic Mountain 1924) and fine art, like in Edvard Munch’s work in his paintings Dead Mother and The Sick Child (Grogaard, 2013). In this paper, we will analyze the way in which tuberculosis has been treated in cinema. As far as tuberculosis is regarded, it is, undoubtedly, an ancient scourge. It has plagued humankind throughout known history and human prehistory. Modern strains of tuberculosis appear to have originated from a common ancestor about 20,000–15,000 years ago. In Egypt, tuberculosis can be documented for more than 5000 years ago. Typical skeletal abnormalities of tuberculosis, have been found in Egyptian mummies and are clearly depicted in early Egyptian art. In addition, there are written texts describing tuberculosis in India as early as 3300 years ago and in China 2300 years ago. Tuberculosis was well known in classical Greece, where it was called phthisis. Hippocrates clearly recognized tuberculosis and understood its clinical presentation. “Phthisis makes its attacks chiefly between the age of eighteen and thirty-five,” he wrote in his aphorisms, clearly recognizing the predilection of young adults for active tuberculosis. As Europe entered the middle ages, the written record of tuberculosis becomes sparse. This does not mean that the disease was not present. As the renaissance swept northward from Italy into Northern Europe, new knowledge emerged, including new knowledge of the disease. In the 19 th century tuberculosis had surged across Europe in an epidemic tsunami. In the late 19 th century the phenomenon and the death rates declined, however ill patients sought comfort and relief and retreated frequently to sanatoria (Daniel 2006). In the sanatoria, the patients led a lonely life secluded not only from their family and beloved ones but also from the whole world and the changes that occurred outside the walls of the sanatorium. The loneliness that was undoubtedly linked to life in the sanatoria, frequently caused the development of bonds between patients who not only shared the same state of health, but also the notion of the world outside the walls of the sanatorium. It is, therefore, clear, that tuberculosis has emerged as an integral part of human history. Consequently, we can conclude that the history of sanatoria represents part of the lives of an immense number of people during the 20 th century and can be considered as a truly important part of the social evolution of the previous century. As far as cinema is concerned, even though it is an invention of the 20 th century, it has always treated historical matters and human pain as a matter that triggers reactions and various consequences. Consequently, tuberculosis has always intrigued film directors and scriptwriters and has participated in several of their films either as central or as peripheral subject. ISSN 2325-4149 (Print), 2325-4165 (Online) ©Center for Promoting Ideas, USA www.aijssnet.com 57 Tuberculosis has been treated as a movie subject, firstly, as a state that causes suffering and also as a state that triggers loneliness and isolation from beloved ones. However, cinema also explores aspects of the disease that can lead to optimistic moments. Because of this dual nature of the disease, and its treatment in cinema, the study of films that concerned tuberculosis, presents important and remarkable aspects. In this paper, we will present briefly the most important films linked to the subject of tuberculosis. Subsequently, we will analyze, in the form of case studies, five films concerning the subject in order to study the way in which they treat the disease. The basic matter that will be examined is the impact of tuberculosis on human reactions and interpersonal relations. The Butterfly’s Dream (2013) The first movie we will analyze thoroughly is the 2013 movie “The Butterfly’s Dream”. The film is a Turkish production, directed by Yilmaz Erdogan starring Kivanc Tatlitug and Mert Firat. The film was particularly famous in Turkey, where its admissions reached the number of 2.159.540. Moreover, it won multiple awards by the Turkish Film Critics Association in 2013 (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Soundtrack, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography). It was also screened in 6 countries in Europe (Austria, Switzerland, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway) with the total amount of admissions being 89.188. (Lumiere Database). The movie was chosen as one of the most important movies dealing with tuberculosis because the disease is one of its basic subjects. Tuberculosis is used by the scenario as a protagonist of the film and not only as the font of it. Both the male protagonists of the movie are ill with tuberculosis from the beginning till the end of the movie and the illness is the basic motive for all their actions. Used as a basic subject of the movie, this analysis will serve the purpose of explaining the way tuberculosis affected the reactions and lives of the movie’s characters. As far as the movie plot is concerned, the film is situated in a small Turkish town in 1941. During the World War 2, due to Obligation Law, all men inhabiting the Turkish Town are obliged to work in the mines. During this period, two poets in their early twenties are infected by tuberculosis. However, they continue desiring to live and create. Despite difficult political circumstances and their deteriorating health, they continue writing constantly and their ultimate dream is to publish their poems in a particular literary magazine and gain their life as famous poets. At that time, they are also “infected” by the love for the same woman. In order to decide who will conquer her, they set a bet. They will both write a poem, they will present their poems to her and whoever’s poem she prefers will win the bet and the girl. At the beginning, they both befriend the girl and for a short period of time they become a band of three. However, shortly afterwards, one of the two poets, Rustu, has to be hospitalized in a sanatorium because of his tuberculosis. The other poet, Muzaffer, quickly falls for the girl, Suzan, and they commence a relationship. However, their romance ends abruptly when her parents learn that not only Muzaffer is a poet but he also suffers from tuberculosis. Her parents are afraid that this romance does not have any future and, moreover, they are aware of the danger that their daughter may be also infected. In order to protect her from the disease and from a relationship which seems doomed, they prohibit her to continue seeing Muzaffer. Muzaffer, after a short period of time, is also hospitalized for tuberculosis in the same sanatorium as Rustu. Upon his arrival their happiness to have found each other after a long time prevails. During his hospitalization Rustu has fallen in love with another patient, a beautiful young woman, named Farah. Their relationship began in the sanatorium but after some time they are both released and they decide to marry. Their future seems bright and their marriage is portrayed as a particularly joyful event which includes a lot of singing, dancing and of course laughs and smiles. In the meantime, Muzaffer is also released from the sanatorium and tries to give a second chance to his romance with Suzan. Suzan welcomes him back and they continue their affair. However, Rustu’s wife, Farah, falls seriously ill again. After a very short period Farah dies and Rustu suffers from grief. Muzaffer decides to stand by his friend at this extremely hard time. They close themselves in a room where they seek relief by writing constantly. Moreover, when Suzan comes to visit them, Muzaffer does not open to her and he seems to have quit their romance. Rustu also falls ill and dies. After the funeral of Rustu, Muzaffer is left alone at the graveyard and Suzan arrives. They hug each other and Suzan goes away. In the ending scene, we see Muzaffer standing alone in the graveyard. As we have already noted, tuberculosis is the protagonist in this film as both the protagonists are infected by it and it is the basic incentive for their actions throughout th