By: Sofia Arreguin
Epilepsy is often largely misunderstood, and many of these misconceptions and stigmas surrounding the condition are represented on the big screen. Although created in the modern age, many films continue to use the description of ‘supernatural’ forces as the basis of epilepsy, developing a false connection to the condition. The portrayal of epilepsy in many movies is generally unreliable, as film creators attempt to push the narrative of unruly and demonic epileptic patients. There seems to be a lack of proper representation of epilepsy within motion pictures. As a result, the movie tends to isolate individuals with epilepsy from society, enforcing the feeling of shame and abnormality. However, many films were able to bring awareness of the condition.
Early Plays
As early as the 6th century B.C., Greek writers developed playwrights that connected tragedy to epilepsy. One such play, “Iphigenia among the Taureans and Heracles,” written by Euripides, illustrated the character Orestes as suffering from epileptic symptoms, including falling to the floor, head shaking, hands trembling, and foam trickling from his chin; symptoms resembling a tonic-clonic seizure (White & Simpson, 2021). The prevalent belief of gods and spirits causing such inflictions was shown through the story’s focus on Orestes’ condition being inflicted by Erinyes, the goddess of vengeance. Similarly, the play “Heracles”, also written by Euripides, follows the tale of Heracles and his experience with seizures (White & Simpson, 2021). The goddess, Madness, was sent to attack Heracles as punishment for being an illegitimate son of the god Zeus. As a result, in what appeared to be a seizure, Heracles appeared to be ‘lightning-struck,’ with throbbing veins and a drool-covered beard. In this state, he proceeds to kill his family, thinking them to be his nemeses, and later recovers from this loss of awareness. In both tales, the characters experiencing epileptic symptoms were perceived as ‘mad.’ Conversely, Shakespeare wrote “Julius Caesar,” incorporating epilepsy, representing the condition as a weakness, but in a manner that lacked the usual negativity associated with this circumstance during the Renaissance (Baxendale, 2016). Caesar suffered from a seizure in Rome’s marketplace, and to the politicians and those in the Senate, the seizure represented a form of weakness, as it was seen as something improper for Rome’s leader to experience. However, the seizure seemed to appeal to the public’s sentiments, as Caesar acknowledged his disorder and questioned whether he had committed any destructive actions during his episode; they were able to view the humanity within Caesar. As a result, the public’s support for Caesar grew since they viewed his ‘weakness’ as something they could relate to.
The Uniqueness of Epilepsy in Films
The subject of possessions and wickedness continued to emerge in films from the 21st century (Baxendale, 2016). As seen in “Sadie Clove,” a film produced in 2013, the start of Sadie’s seizures had been determined to have originated during a visit to her aunt’s house. The movie incorporates the portrayal of the aunt as a witch and Sadie’s encounter with demons as the source of her seizures. This seems to reinforce the popular theme of demonic occurrences within the manifestation of seizures, especially since the producers of the film explored the idea of Sadie being half-human and half-demon. Likewise, the film “The Aura,” released in 2005, appeared to emphasize the peculiarity of the leading character by assigning them epilepsy (Baxendale, 2016). Esteban Espinosa, the main character, is described as a murderous, psychopathic taxidermist who becomes obsessed with committing the perfect crime. Alongside these characteristics, his experience with epilepsy appears to have been included to highlight the uniqueness and “otherness” of Esteban. This description seemingly associates the dangerous and threatening traits of the character with his epileptic condition. Movies with similar themes and points could ultimately leave a negative impression on the audience.
An Inaccurate Film Based on a True Story
While most films classified as ‘fiction’ include these themes of demons and possessions, there are other films established from true stories that employ similar themes. For example, the story of Anneliese Michel was used as inspiration for the creation of the movie “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” which follows the theme of the supernatural (Baxendale, 2016). Anneliese was diagnosed with epilepsy, yet the reason for her epileptic symptoms was thought to be a result of demonic possession. She faced multiple exorcisms and later died from poor health. In the film, she was described as having suffered from seizures and visions, seemingly depicting her character to have epilepsy. However, characters within the film determined Emily to be possessed by demons and in need of an exorcism. Consequently, the movie has come under scrutiny, as it seems to reinforce the connection between epilepsy and its having supernatural origins, especially since the tagline of the film reads “Based on a True Story.” Later on, the film “Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes” was released, claiming to showcase videos from Anneliese’s exorcism, but none actually existed; there were only audio tapes.
Authenticity Does Exist
However, not all films with the subject of epilepsy are entirely based on false premises or allude to the supernatural. One such film was titled “First Do No Harm,” which observes the story of a mother who attempts to save her son, who was diagnosed with epilepsy, from a mental decline as a result of the ineffectiveness of his epileptic medications (Brogaard, 2012). Based on the events of Abrahams and his epileptic son Charlie, the film demonstrates a dietary treatment as a substitute for medications that are inefficient in helping children with epilepsy. Regarded as the ketogenic diet, the diet is comprised of low intakes of protein and carbohydrates and high intakes of fat. Within the film, the child was shown to respond positively to this new treatment, as he saw a decline in seizures. Although just a film, the movie includes an actual treatment that seems to be gaining popularity in the medical field for its effects of reducing seizures in epileptic children. This film helps shed a more positive light on the subject of epilepsy by including factual components to its storyline.
Conclusion
Individuals with epilepsy are often misunderstood as a result of the inaccuracies portrayed by film directors. Demonic possessions are often the theme for films covering the condition of epilepsy, maintaining the ancient relationship between the paranormal and epilepsy. Its misrepresentations can leave a certain impression on the audience, which may help reinforce stereotypes towards the disorder. However, there are films that take on a relatively more accurate approach to representing this condition, offering a positive step towards an authentic portrayal.
References
Baxendale, S. (2016). Epilepsy on the silver screen in the 21st century. Epilepsy & Behavior 57, 270-274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.12.044
Brogaard, Berit. (2012, December 9). First Do No Harm New insights into the treatment of epileptic seizures. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201212/first-do-no-harm
White, M. & Simpson, D. (2021, April 2). The Changing Portrayal of Epilepsy in the Theatre. Preprints.org. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202104.0043.v1
