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Vietnam Veterans, PTSD and Hollywood Bachelor’S Diploma Thesis

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Vietnam Veterans, PTSD and Hollywood Bachelor’S Diploma Thesis Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Mgr. Vladimír Nepraš Vietnam Veterans, PTSD and Hollywood Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Ph.D. 2017 1 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author’s signature 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………. 4 1. HISTORY OF PTSD …………………………………………………… 7 1.1 Early history of PTSD ………………………………………….…… 8 1.2 PTSD in the 20th century …………………………………………… 12 2. FILM AS CONVEYER OF IDEAS, MEANINGS AND IMAGES …. 21 3. PTSD SYMPTOMS AND THEIR PORTRAYALS IN FILMS ……... 24 4. FILM REPRESENTATIONS OF VIETNAM WAR VETERANS WITH PTSD ……………………………………………………………..……….…. 31 4.1 PTSD MOVIES IN THE 1960’s and the 1970’s ………………...…. 31 4.2 COMING HOME …………………………………………….…...…. 37 4.3 THE DEER HUNTER ………………………………………………. 41 4.4 PTSD MOVIES SINCE THE 1980’s …………………….………… 50 CONCLUSION ……………………………………………………….……… 63 BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………….…..…… 67 FILMOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………… 70 ENGLISH RÉSUMÉ ……………………………………….……………….. 71 CZECH RÉSUMÉ …………………………………………………………... 72 3 INTRODUCTION After a traumatic experience, it is a normal human reaction to be upset and feel lots of emotions, such as distress, anxiety, guilt, shame, hopelessness, sadness and anger. However, if the symptoms persist and get worse, people may suffer from post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Traumatic events which can cause PTSD include natural disasters, terrorist attacks, car or plane crashes, sudden death of a loved one, sexual or physical abuse, and some others.1 The most common cause of PTSD is military combat, which is in focus of this work. Mental problems of soldiers who experienced an intense trauma have been observed throughout history, but it took a long time before they started to be comprehended in full complexity. PTSD was defined and officially implemented into psychiatric nomenclature in 1980 in the context of consequences of the Vietnam war. The war inflicted mental wounds to a lot of American soldiers, and it was traumatic for the whole American society, which was reflected both in professional and popular discourse, including a film. A theme of traumatized Vietnam veterans has provided a lot of attractive material for Hollywood movies, which have been able to adapt the theme from unique perspectives. Film is a very popular phenomenon, and as such, it has ability to influence public perception of the Vietnam veterans. It is a powerful conveyer of meanings, ideas and attitudes. Thus, it is worth examining the way films have contributed to the general discussion about Vietnam veterans and their mental wounds. This thesis explores the image of Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD in the American cinematography since the late 1960’s. The prevailing theme in the movies is a man who was changed by the war and returns home, being mentally wounded. This work discusses the way this man, a Vietnam veteran, is portrayed in films. How did the war change the veteran? How did it impact him? How was the change and the veteran’s trauma manifested? What factors impacted the change and mental state of the veteran? 1 https://www.helpguide.org/articles/ptsd-trauma/ptsd-symptoms-self-help-treatment.htm#what 4 What problems did he face after coming home? What were the consequences of PTSD? How did the veteran deal with the disorder? Those are the questions that are discussed in the movies and through their analysis in this thesis. PTSD and its symptoms provide an interpretive framework for the analysis. The first chapter of the thesis explores the way the issue of mentally wounded soldiers was observed and perceived throughout history. Psychological effects of combat on soldiers have been observed since the ancient times, but not fully understood until a rise of modern psychiatry in the 20th century. Although mental traumata of soldiers were often trivialized, underestimated or ignored, massive war conflicts of the last century contributed to better comprehension of the issue. Extensive polemics about the issue amongst psychiatrists in the turbulent Vietnam and Post-Vietnam era broadened into political, cultural and popular discourse and made a contribution to gradually altered perception of Vietnam veterans and their mental troubles. General discussions about the issue and new psychiatric standards concerning veterans with PTSD influenced portrayals of the veterans in films as well. The second chapter deals with the essence of film as a means of conveying of ideas, meanings, attitudes and images. Film is a popular and widespread phenomenon, and it can be very influential in shaping public perception of various issues. Commercial films are made primarily for profit and entertaining their audiences, but they also have an ability to convey a powerful message. Movies have been able to affect the way their audiences have perceived Vietnam veterans. And vice versa, they reflected shifting atmosphere and changes in American society in the Post-Vietnam era. They say a lot about the time in which they were made. The third chapter discusses symptoms and diagnostic criteria for PTSD as they are described in the third and the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM-III, DSM-IV), and in the Public section of a website of the National Center for PTSD. Each criterion is added with examples of its portrayals in movies. 5 The last chapter of the thesis analyses the filmic representations of traumatised Vietnam veterans since the late 1960s. It covers prevailing trends and themes in films that portray veterans suffering mental trauma. It shows multifaceted image of a mentally wounded Vietnam veteran, which altered and developed over time. Two films – Coming Home and The Deer Hunter – are more deeply analysed in separate subchapters. The films captured audiences' and critics' attention and presented the issue of traumatised veterans from a new perspective. The Deer Hunter is an excellent psychological study of men who were changed by war, which is the key motif of many movies about Vietnam veterans and of this thesis. 6 1 HISTORY OF PTSD The term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was first defined in the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) third edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) in 1980. The term was implemented into the official psychiatric nomenclature and its definition filled an important niche in clinical psychiatry. New specific terminology and diagnostic standards improved methods of treatment for patients with PTSD and ameliorated their lives. PTSD became an official psychiatric disorder. This kind of disorder had not been unknown though. In fact, it was just a new name for an old story. The idea that people can be afflicted by psychological disorder after being exposed to a traumatic event was not new. PTSD can be diagnosed among survivors of traumatic experiences such as car accidents, terrorist attacks, natural disasters or sexual assaults. The most frequently mentioned group of PTSD sufferers is war veterans who are in focus of this work. Wars, battles and combat situations are significant stressors leading to PTSD. After all, Vietnam veterans, who returned home afflicted by PTSD symptoms, were in focus of discussions leading to introducing PTSD to DSM-III. However, Vietnam veterans were not and will not be the only soldiers suffering from war neurosis. As Steve Bentley states in his study about history of PTSD: “War has always had a severe psychological impact on people in immediate and lasting ways” (Bentley, 1). Historians, writers, physicians and other authors throughout history have been aware of mental effects on soldiers who experienced an intense trauma. Symptoms, which are now identified in relation to PTSD, have been noted and they have been given different names. However, the phenomenon was not fully understood, or it was even misunderstood for a long time, and a definition of the disorder was elusive. Renowned neurologist Michael R. Trimble described it as “a most frequent, yet clearly misunderstood aspect of human experience” (Trimble, 13). 7 1.1 Early history of PTSD The earliest references to post combat disorder and symptoms, which are today linked to PTSD, were found in texts that are more than 3000 years old. Ancient Assyrian texts from Mesopotamia dating between 1300 BC and 609 BC, which were translated, assembled and studied by British and American scholars2, included several hundreds of medical records showing how important was diagnosis for Assyrian medical practice.3 The Mesopotamians were able to diagnose not only physical injuries but mental illnesses as well. Their physicians kept records of psychological wounds of Assyrian soldiers who were regularly exposed to significant traumata associated with combat. Symptoms that were observed among the soldiers correspond with the symptoms of PTSD as it is now recognised.4 However, stress disorder was perceived and understood differently from the current view by the Mesopotamians. Symptoms of mental stress were attributed to spirits of enemies who had been killed by a soldier in a battle and later haunted the soldier. Stress disorder was not unknown in Ancient Greece as well. Greek medicine related both physical and mental health to the balance of four humours – blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. Disturbance of the balance has negative effects on emotions
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