Grief and Loss of Loved Ones in Mystic River - Essay Example

Movie Analysis: Mystic River Patrick Tanella Grief and Loss 4/08 Introduction The mystic river is a 2003 film based on three main characters and the impact of perception on the murders that occur in the film. However, the film has issues of grief and loss with the past influencing the behaviour of the main characters. In fact, the main issue of the film is the relationship between the three main characters in childhood and adulthood. The differences in perception and the impact of the death of Katie and the wounded hand of Dave are linked together leading to loss of lives and negative perception on behaviour of Dave (Eastwood, 2003). The blood stained clothes, injured had of Dave makes him a suspect in the murder of Katie which he did not commit. The cause of his hand injury is fighting with a child molester which he tells his wife but she doubts the information leading to death. The doubt of the wife and the desire for revenge by Jimmy illustrates that they were not good friends in adult life compared to when they were young. The grief and loss and tacking of the problem of death in the film is adverse. According to Jimmy, the perpetrator of the murder of Katie must be murdered leading to the death of Dave. Even though Dave is not involved in the murder of Katie, he pays the price because of the doubt of the wife and the friend Jimmy. In the conclusion of the film, the truth comes out, but it is too late because Jimmy has killed Dave for the death of Katie. In his response, he tells the investigators that they could have come early to counter the actions. The coming early of Sean would have helped and reduced the casualties in the play. Grief and loss in Mystic River The handling of grief and loss in the film is different and diverse depending on the past experience. The abduction of Dave during his childhood years leads to negative emotions against child molesters. The true feeling of Dave is revealed in the action taken when he met a child molester later in life leading to the attack of the molester and the consequent doubt as a result of coming home with blood stained clothes. The recovery from the abduction and sexual molesting he received was not handled effectively (Sorrells, 2012, p. 56). From the incident, Dave becomes engrossed in his thought over the years affecting their relationship. The three boys become distant as a result of the abduction. The use of trickery to obtain confessions is revealed in the action of Jimmy because he takes Dave for a drink with the motive of obtaining a confession from Dave in relation to the death of Katie. Jimmy’s response to the death of the daughter is different. Instead of grieving for the loss of sister, Jimmy takes the journey of revenge and the investigation of the murder instead of leaving the case to the investigators. The loss of a loved one leads to mental disillusion and may lead to serious challenge for the person. Effect of past experience on future The effect of past experience on the behaviour of the character is revealed in the life of Dave. After the abduction incident, he becomes an introvert and the behaviour affects the relationship of the three friends. The action leads to breakdown of the relationship between the three boys which continue and become severe in the adult hood (Elsaesser & Buckland, 2002, p. 65). The doubt in Jimmy mind is a result of the introvert actions of Dave. After the incidence, Dave becomes withdrawn and does not participate in building back the friendship as it initially was. The impact of the abduction experience is revealed on the actions taken when he met a child molester. The killing of the notorious child molester by Dave reveals the hatred that burnt him internally. It reveals the grief and bitterness he had resulting from his experience with the molesters. It also reveals that he did not overcome the event and continually lived with the trauma and could not overcome it (Lehane, 2010, p. 45). The challenge of living life in fear or bitterness leads to mind seclusion and the development of a different character allowing friends to doubt the action of Dave. The experience of Dave contributed significantly to the adult actions and behaviours depicted in the film. The effect of living with trauma is revealed effectively in the life of Dave. The personal experience of Dave affects the development of relationship with friends and family. Even is wife lives doubting him and thinking that he is behind the death of Katie. Losses in the movie: Most of the dominant cultures within the western world tend to define the term loss strictly based on the presence or absence of the person i.e., either dead or alive. However in some other cultures, also within the western world, the same term can be defined differently. The term loss can be categorised based on different levels of gradation which includes physical separation not just by death alone but by way of physical separation. Loss according to this term hence also includes an active presence of the person from whom one is separated but is still able to communicate or someone who is separated or absent from ones life since several years (Rosenblatt, 1993). On the basis of the above explanation of the term, losses in this movie include the loss of a child by way of death – i.e., Jimmys eldest daughter Katie and the loss suffered by Sean by way of separation with his wife Lauren, and the loss suffered by Katie’s boyfriend Brendan. It also includes the loss and separation of Dave from his friends and on a more philosophical level it also includes the loss of childhood and innocence of young Dave who was entrapped by paedophiles. Stage of loss depicted by the two main characters: The stage of loss that the character Jimmy went through is Anger. It is very well depicted in the scene where Jimmy realizes that the corpse found in the woods might be that of his own beloved daughter. He yells, screams and struggles to get one look at the body to confirm his worst doubt. The sheer force with which he screams before finally bursting out in tears effectively portrays and conveys his vulnerability which is redirected in the form of anger. Individuals passing through this stage of grief are known to often misdirect their anger at friends, family, inanimate objects or even strangers. Jimmy screams and punches the cops who continue to struggle to hold him back accurately depicts the typical behaviour of individuals suffering from sudden and extreme grief or loss (Hansen, 2007: p. 169). The grief suffered by the character of Dave on the other hand goes through various stages including isolation and shock that is an immediate response to pain, followed by anger. Dave, due to his traumatic childhood experience feels isolated from the rest of the world and displays emotions of anger and at times extreme rage when faced with a similar situation, event or occurence. This is perfectly portrayed in the film where there is a drastic and noticeable change in the dynamics of the friends who have now grown to be detached and apart from one another. Also in another incident where Dave comes across a man molesting a child he loses self-control and murders the perpetrator. The stage of grief that the character, Dave is going through is made abundantly clear. Behaviours used to mitigate, ignore or deal with the losses and its impact: Individuals use various ways to cope with the loss suffered by them. These alternatives range from attacking or confronting the problem head on to fleeing as often described in the form of the natural fight or flight response (Dattilio & Freeman, 2010: p. 507). The characters Dave and Jimmy use this form of behaviour to cope with their grief i.e., attacking the person or situation responsible for causing them grief, as an effective means of resolving conflicts and problems faced by them. Another most common behavioural response of individuals experiencing severe trauma or grief is Action. This is a form of response that entails doing something or anything that helps them in resolving the situation and overcome their feeling of extreme sadness and loss (Coy, 2011: p. 9). Link between rituals used and the cultural context of the movie: The backdrop of the film is depicted as a quaint working class Irish Catholic neighbourhood. The cultural setting is hence essentially focused on depiction and meaning of sins, evil, and Christianity within the American culture. The film is based in a Boston neighbourhood and the choice of the place itself is a prominent character in itself. Boston is known for its rich cultural history and staunch religious beliefs. The film continues to depict events that imply sin and morally and religiously offensive behaviour with subtle hints of the presence of ‘god’ or religion. The sinners, in this case the priests that posed as cops to abduct and abuse young Dave as well as Jimmy who is portrayed as a believer in Christ continue their evil acts – that of child abuse and murder respectively portraying a harsh irony. The scene where the first event of loss, grief, and sins are experienced by the characters highlights the occurrence of sin and evil acts despite the strong religious presence of characters as well as the backdrop. When young Dave is deceitfully led into the car, there is a subtle appearance of a ‘cross’ worn by one of the men / kidnappers as a ring. Also the submissive reaction of Dave when asked by the older man to get into the car, and doing as he is told is typical of the Catholic culture where young children are taught to obey their elders without questioning. Also on return, Jimmy’s father comments that Dave is now a ‘damaged good’ thus shifting the blame on the victim rather than the perpetrators of the heinous crime. This scene also highlights the cultural attitudes of the people – that of the ‘Catholic guilt’. Jimmy, who is shown as a perfect family man who is a loving father to his children, is seen sitting in the church for his daughter’s first communion, again highlighting the strong cultural and religious presence and backdrop of the story. Jimmy is a murderer and a convict and is seen sporting a huge cross tattoo on his back in one of the scenes, right after murdering his own friend Dave out of suspicion. Conclusion The effect of grief and loss of loved ones is dynamic and unexplainable because individuals react differently to the loss. In the movie, the reactions of Dave and Jimmy are based on past experience and loss of a loved one making the actions different. Doubt leads to the problem witnessed in the movie which is degradation of relationships and suspicion. In addition, the behaviour of Sean illustrates the connection and relationship between the three main characters of the movie. Grief and loss of loved ones lead to change in behaviour and affects the development of the relationships. Reference Coy, P. G., (2011). Research in social movements, conflicts and change. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing. Dattilio, F. M., Freeman, A., (2010). Cognitive-behavioral strategies in crisis intervention. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Eastwood, C. (Director). (2003). Mystic River [Motion Picture]. Elsaesser, T., & Buckland, W. (2002). Studying Contemporary American Film: A Guide to Movie Analysis. Chicago: Arnold. Feist, G. J. (2005). Theories of personality. New York: McGraw-Hill. Hansen, B., (2007). Shame and anger: The criticism connection. Change for Good Press, p. 169. Lehane, D. (2010). Mystic River. Chicago: Little, Brown Book Group. Rosenblatt, P. C., (1993). Cross-cultural variation in the experience, expression, and understanding of grief. In: Irish DP, Lundquist KF, Nelsen VJ, eds. Ethnic Variations in Dying, Death, and Grief: Diversity in Universality. Philadelphia, PA: Taylor & Francis Publishing. Sorrells, K. (2012). Intercultural Communication: Globalization and Social Justice. London: Sage Publications. Read More