Introduction
The modern cinematography industry has produced numerous pieces of art that depict an accurate representation of mental struggles and intend to give viewers an insight into other people’s minds. These films can be used to engage the audience in conversation regarding various vital topics that can be puzzling for some due to the lack of understanding of others’ conditions and motives. Wedding and Niemiec argue that “nothing conveys information or evokes emotion quite as clearly as our visual sense” (2). This ability to get an emotional response from the viewer allows movie producers to influence people’s attitudes toward the depicted topic, make them conscious about the issue, or evoke sympathy toward the particular person. Through this technique, especially when using the first-person narrative, writers can help viewers to understand otherwise often alienated individuals who have mental conditions (Wedding & Niemiec). This paper will review the psychological portrayal of Ben, the high-school student with Asperger’s syndrome, by Greg Timmermans in the Belgian-Dutch drama “Ben X” by Nic Balthazar.
Plot Summary
The film starts with an introduction to the main character – Ben, who is shown to have a deep interest in the video game “ArchLord.” In that artificial world, he is a strong and well-respected character, and this is the only place where he has a friend – Scarlite. The man behind the character, however, has a lot of troubles conveying himself in the real world, and the audience sees how even simple everyday encounters weigh heavily on his mind. As the story progresses, the audience sees that Ben is a subject of horrible bullying from classmates, which apparently continues for a prolonged period. During one of these incidents, the main character snaps and breaks the window, which leads to the beginning of his mental decline. Ben narrates his backstory and explains that doctors have studied him thoroughly and found that he had “a bad brain” (Ben X). His visit to the psychiatrist does not help the situation, and the bullying continues over the Internet.
The main character escapes back into the game, where he finds his friend Scarlite from the game waiting for him in his room. The main protagonist states that she can “put [him] together again” (Ben X). However, the next day bullying continues and becomes even worse. In a desperate attempt to defend himself, he tries to stab bullies but gets disarmed and fed a hallucinogenic drug. He begins to fantasize about suicide after coming back to his senses. Ben misses Scarlite’s invitation to meet her in real life and attempts to take his life by jumping under the train, only to be stopped by her. They come with an idea to stage a fake suicide to reveal the seriousness of harassment and to punish the bullies. After the successful resolution of this plan, Ben and his family, as well as Scarlite, are shown to take equine therapy sessions. In the end, Ben seems to be in a state of delusion to evade reality entirely, as it is revealed that Scarlite was only in Ben’s imagination.
Analysis of Ben’s Personality
This film focuses on the struggles that the main character experiences throughout his regular daily routine. The condition weighs heavy on his behavior, actions, and decisions, and also takes a toll on his family. Neither his closest family members, not classmates and teachers understand how he feels, and, from Ben’s point of view, even his psychiatrist does not fully comprehend this condition. The main character feels alienated, which only worsens his situation and makes him continuously frustrated.
The theme of bullying is the crucial element of the storyline, as it serves as a focal point for Ben’s issues with everyday life. As bullies argue that “normality doesn’t come easy for him” to avoid punishment for bullying, the school principal lets them off the hook without any further investigation (Ben X). Huard argues that “a harsh perspective and resolute emphasis on the issue is especially beneficial when showing the rest of the world how severe the problem is” (19). The movie portrays humiliation as one of the key struggles that people with mental disorders have to face on a regular basis.
The main character uses scenes from his favorite video game, “ArchLord,” as a coping mechanism against real-world stress factors. Whenever he feels threatened, anxious, or lost, he replaces himself with his ideal version from the video game to use this projection as a medium against the threat. It allows Ben to avoid any escalation of aggression, as well as prevent himself from becoming more stressed out. Normal coping mechanisms are rarely able to help people with mental disorders to deal with their struggles, as it is hard for them to find an understanding person or partake in regular activities (Wedding & Niemiec). In this movie, the main protagonist uses escapism, however, it leads to the development of another mental disorder.
The deterioration of the character’s social skills under pressure from his classmates evokes feelings of compassion, as the viewer sees how Ben’s mental health continues to decline. Whenever Ben gets into a stressful situation, he tries to close himself from the outside interactions and escapes into the projection of his real-life situation as if it occurred in “ArchLord.” In the end, when even this measure stops working, and he breaks down under pressure, further deterioration of his mental state is narrowly avoided via extreme escapism. As the main character finds little understanding from real people, he decides to shut himself up in a delusion that keeps him happy to an extent. Although Ben evades depression, he closes up into himself and accepts this state of mind.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “Ben X” is an astonishing film that raises important topics of struggles in everyday life by people with mental disorders. King states that the movie “is based on the true story of a 17-year-old Belgian boy with Asperger’s who killed himself.” Garner et al. state that “filmic portrayals of autism spectrum conditions are not normative relative to the autistic community” (425). However, this film is praised for its accurate depiction of the mental state of people who suffer from Asperger’s syndrome, using first-person narrative and interviews from the main character’s family, teachers, and classmates for contrast (King). While stereotyping this behavior has its adverse effects, it is essential to show its causes to make people more conscious about the issue. Huard argues that such movies “have the ability to reach, not only a wider audience but a larger, more diverse demographic of people that can learn about a condition” (31). This movie allows the viewer to learn more about the hardships of life with Asperger’s syndrome and is intended to make the audience more compassionate to people with mental disorders.
Works Cited
Ben X. Directed by Nic Balthazar, MMG Film, 2007.
Garner, Andrea, et al. “Authentic representations or stereotyped ‘outliers’: using the CARS2 to assess film portrayals of Autism Spectrum Disorders.” International Journal of Culture and Mental Health, vol. 8, no. 4, 2015, pp. 414-425.
Huard, Michael. The Reality of Fiction: Understanding Autism Through Narrative Films. 2014. University of Southern California, MA thesis. USC Digital Library. Web.
King, Susan. “‘Ben X,’ Surrounded by Bullies.” Los Angeles Times, 2008, Web.
Wedding, Danny, and Ryan M. Niemiec. Movies and Mental Illness: Using Films to Understand Psychopathology. 4th ed., Hogrefe Publishing, 2014.