Shine

I watched the movie Shine this evening and was enthralled. I wish I had time to watch it again and again before sending it back to the library. But I have too many DVD that have to go back in the next two days and more waiting for my on the hold shelf. I got in queue for a bunch of movies and TV series during April when I encountered mention of them in my reading on script writing during ScriptFrenzy. Many have come and gone since then but many have flooded in in the last two weeks.

Below is the scene from the movie of the teenaged Helfgott performing Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #3.

In the soundtrack of the movie all of the character David's piano playing is played by Helfgott himself so I've included a vid of him playing.

I wasn't even aware until the end credits that this was based on a true story of a child prodigy piano player whose rise to stardom was interrupted by mental illness.

One thing that gave me shivers was when the adult David spoke of how his doctor had forbid him to play the piano, calling it too dangerous for him. The thought of having story forbidden to me--the reading, watching, writing or telling--gives my goosebumps goosebumps.

It seems to me there is something wrong with the idea of a mental health professional blaming the creative expression of a patient for the illness and cutting them off from the very thing that gives meaning and passion to their life.

What? Do they want a robot? A Zombie? Grey blobs in uniforms? Is that elusive thing they call 'normal' so important to them they have to eliminate everything that doesn't fit their concept of 'normal'. Why couldn't the doctor have had the imagination to see the music as a source of healing and encourage David to explore healthy ways to channel his creative instincts.

To my mind it wasn't the music itself but the pathological need to 'win' to be 'perfect' both probably manifestations of his illness. If David could have learned to decouple music from those obsessions, he might not have had to fear the music itself for nearly twenty years and it might have serves as his salvation instead of standing as his demon.

But what do I know?