"Hysteria" | Movie Review + Life Lessons | Life Lessons in Film

Talio. >> Steady as she goes, Mrs. Parson. Steady as she goes. You see, by fierce external stimulation, we're able to elicit the pain pleasure reaction, thereby inducing the hysterical parexism and coaxing the uterus back into its normal position. Amazing. The female organ is, as you know, incapable of experiencing any pleasurable sensation whatsoever without actual penetration of the male organ. Put my face on. >> I put your face on. Welcome back to Life Lessons in Film. >> Today, >> Greetings. [laughter] >> Can you do it again? >> Welcome back to Life Lessons in Film. >> Greetings. >> Today we'll be making sense of life through hysteria. It follows >> we have no clue. Okay, [clears throat] >> I looked it up. No, no. I've got the whole list right here on Wikipedia. No, look, look, look, look. >> It follows Mortimer Granville, an aspiring medical doctor, as he is ready to take on the world. He's working at a hospital that he hates. He's into the new science of germ theory, but the place he's working at doesn't care about that stuff, that new fangled science. They don't care about actually like cleaning wounds and things. It's not a very hospitable place. He's looking to find a place where he can be happy and he can actually change people's lives for the better and feel fulfilled and be the kind of doctor that he dreamed of being. >> He comes across Dr. Dal Rimple who alleviates women's hysteria and he has a very high success rate with that and so that interests Mortimer because he wants to work for someone who seems to actually have a positive impact on their patients. Hysteria was a blanket term that covered a wide range of things that women struggled with at that time, but it really boiled down to romantic frustration. >> Yeah, >> they believe that women could not get pleasure >> from anything >> from anything carnal or or anim animalistic. So gets the job becomes very adept at uh helping >> treating hysteria. >> Treating hysteria [laughter] >> which involves releasing nervous tension. >> Yes. by way of massaging the >> the privates. Yes. The nethers of the disgruntled women. >> Yeah. Yeah. Massaging until parexism. >> Perexism, which is a great way of putting it. Rimple decides that he might want to make Mortimer partner in the future and also marry his >> even take over the practice. >> Take over the practice completely and also marry his daughter Emily. But then >> but then >> he starts having issues, you know, with his band tunnel. >> Dr. Del Rimple lets Mortimer go. He's like, "Hey, you're not you can't snuff. You're not up to snuff." >> After he gets fired, he's, you know, all upset and goes and hangs out with his friend. Edmmond is very well off and he is an inventor and investor. So he's like, you know, I'm working on this thing. It's like an electric feather duster. Mortimer looking at how it operates gets the idea that hey maybe I can turn this into an electric massager to do the thing that I was doing with my hands. They introduces to Dr. Delin and it works out. The women love it and then he's hired again. He was introduced to both Del's daughters Emily and Charlotte takes a liking to Emily. She's very prim and proper. >> How women of that age were expected to behave. >> Mortimer is you know taken aback by Charlotte. >> I can see the wheels turning. Pity I can't stay for the pronouncement. >> Charlotte, >> that woman was hysterical. >> Yes. Quite. >> He learns more about Charlotte and realizes that it's more like passion instead of insanity. >> Yeah. And that he's more he's driven by the same passion to want to help people and make change. >> You can't imagine the filth in the germs. >> You know about germs? >> I do read, doctor. I spent years trying to convince the medical establishment that handwashing prevents disease unsuccessfully. Then here you are teaching it to children >> and with great success. I know with the parents it's another story, but eventually the children will teach them themselves. >> Bravo. >> Charlotte's dad is working against Charlotte. He's trying to run her community center to the ground. >> What's he doing? >> I I've purchased the note from Mr. Huddleston and I'm closing down the settlement house. You no longer have any debt in any. >> These are the actions of a villain. >> Of a villain. >> Charlotte. >> This is your sister's engagement party. >> Party. She's graced and bleeding. You want me to consider a party? >> White lady. >> In comes two cops who are fixing to arrest Fanny. Charlotte punches one of the cops and then goes to trial. Dr. Del Rimple asks Mortimer to testify on her behalf to say that she just struggled with hysteria. Dr. Mortimer knows that that wouldn't be right and is honest and says that hysteria is fiction. The case is dismissed. The judge says, "Well, you did punch a police officer, so for that you're going to go to jail for 30 days." >> Mortimer comes to meet Charlotte after she's done her time, and he proposes to her. >> It's basically a story of the invention of the vibrator, but then it's also it's a romcom, so there's also the story of um Charlotte and Mortimer coming together. >> Characters, Dr. Mortimer Granville. Right off the bat, you get a sense that you wanted to become a doctor for the right reasons. I think a lot of people do start out in any profession like Mortimer does where you you do it because you want to leave the world better than you came into it, but then you see how hard it is to make change >> and sometimes you get deterred by that and then you just kind of settle into what's easy, which I think he kind of did with the when he went to work with Dr. Del Rimple. This guy has a success rate. >> Mhm. [clears throat] >> A high success rate. So, I want that. So, that's kind of easy. It's not like he's breaking any barriers here. You're already going into a job where you know that this guy never fails. So, it's kind of it's like for you as well, you know, I won't fail. And then on top of that, it isn't really medicine really. You know, you're not doing what you went into medicine for. As much as he's wanting to make a change, unlike the other doctors, he's also quite conventional in the sense of he just wants a steady job. [clears throat] He wants a steady life. Doesn't want any kind of issues. I remember when he gets fired, he goes to Edmond and he's like, "Ah, Oh no. You haven't been sacked again, have you? >> I tell you, Edmund, the healing arts in England are positively lethal. Well, >> what are you going to do? >> Private practice, I suppose. I shall harness myself to some greedy pill pusher, shut my mouth, and pray that it nets me a steady income. >> But he's still pursuing that the conventional. >> Yeah. Not realizing yet that it's not for you, man. >> Yeah. Not realizing that it's not for him. Yeah. you know, kind of keeps making the same mistakes, not realizing why it denominator that you need to get away from. >> I think the thing that I like about him is that ultimately he realizes that it's not for him because you can get very comfortable. I like that he doesn't settle into that and just realizes that he's itching for the thing that he really wants, which is much less conventional, >> which is why I'd say like he's not really a conventional person. It's just that he's had to operate in the conventional sense. It's hard to kind of know exactly what it is that you're dissatisfied with or what you actually want because you don't see any examples of it. He's drawn to Charlotte's passion and it's like what is it about you? Like it feels like you're you're behaving so improperly, but at the same time like there's a draw towards her commitment to her values and her strength and passion. And so it's like he was always as unconventional as Charlotte. I think just hadn't got to the point where she had gotten where she's like, I can't I can't not be myself anymore. And I think Charlotte helps kind of bring that out in Mortimer. Okay, you're able to do it then. That's that's also where I feel like I align. >> Which brings us to Charlotte. >> Yes, >> she is very feisty. She is willing to take risks for her views no matter what. Like she at one point asks Mortimer for him to contribute to the community center and the aspirations she has for it. >> And that's huge. Like it's hard to ask for money, let alone some person you don't really know, >> you know, and she's just willing to do those hard things for these things that she believes in. >> It's trust in yourself that what you're doing is the right thing or it's right for you and to be able to be that committed and and stay true to it. The whole world was against her beliefs, how she acted, her goals. I mean, she came from a certain wealthy background. So, you know, no one that she grew up around or whatever would have supported her basically giving all that up. So, to be able to have that commitment is tough and rare but special. >> And you can see that people are so confused by her. She grew up in just like the lap of luxury. And her dad thinks that he can threaten >> to remove that as a way to deter her from continuing with the community center. >> I will not give you another penny >> and I won't come here anymore. Not for charity or for company. And you may threaten me with privation, with bankruptcy, with a life that knows only hunger and squalor, but I shall never veer from what I know to be my own true path. >> I don't. >> The comfort that you can give me, money, food, you know, a comfortable place to live, that's not living. >> Yeah. >> Has no hold over her. >> Yeah. It has no hold over her. She just can't conceptualize being the kind of person who can make a difference but doesn't make a difference. >> Yeah. And then yeah, the father Dr. Dal Rimple I think in some ways he's trying his best with what he feels he you know is the right way to do things probably in some ways even kind of trapped himself in kind of feeling like he needs to continue uh with what he's doing to maintain a certain standard of living which can kind of trap you in its own way. And then he feels like he's responsible to give a good life to his two daughters. So again, has to kind of make sure that his clinic isn't seen with ruffians and hoodlams hanging about. So that like, you know, it it feels kind of heartless and maybe he was acting kind of heartless, but at the same time, maybe he feels like it's just afraid of losing the reputation and then losing his livelihood. I don't know. It's tough cuz like sometimes you see him where he just seems to be, you know, his his wife passed away and then now she feels like his life is about taking care of his daughters and wanting just like to continue on a legacy or something. But then in his attempts to try to do what's best for what he thinks is best for his daughters, then it's actually harming them. I think it harms them both because I think he doesn't realize that he's stifling and hurting Charlotte's uh ability to make a positive change for people. But also with Emily, I don't think he realizes how much he's pressuring Emily to be the good proper, you know, cuz he's always talking about how Charlotte has no decor. And I think that makes Emily feel like I have to be hyper perfect all the time. >> Emily is the angel of the house. Since my dear wife Melodia passed away, Emily has run things in proper order. >> So, he doesn't realize how much he's actually doing a disservice to his daughters. >> He comes from a certain part of society, and every part of society, it has its own rules. You just know that if you are a part of that society then there are just certain things that you won't do otherwise you'll be ostracized. These are the pressures of being a rich person, including making sure that the other great rich people that are my clients understand and feel like they have that sense of importance and they go to this clinic that serves a certain kind of people. And if I see someone who is, you know, poor at that clinic, then I'm going to start thinking I shouldn't be here, you know, and that's going to go to his livelihood. And on top of that, it's going to go to his place in that community. And so that's why it gets really tough for me when I'm dissecting him to say he's a bad person or something like that. I don't necessarily think he's a bad person. I think he's a scared person who thinks that things will be okay if we just stick to the conventional. >> Emily Dimple. I think she plays the role with the family where she sees that the father is struggling without the mother being there and so she feels like if I can make as little waves as possible then that makes it easier for the family. I think the father is proud of her for the fact of how conventional she is. She is into phronology. Don't become a scientist like me. But you can >> you can play around with these other pseudocientific ideas. I think at the time it was taken a bit more seriously, but the movie kind of knows that it's fallen out of favor. So like it's kind of played for jokes, I think. But >> yeah, because as much as maybe at that time it was taken seriously, still wasn't taken that seriously. Especially because you see Mortimer is like what? you know, cuz he's really like up to date with things, modern science. He's kind of like, "No, it's not really a science, but it's something that allows her to be active intellectually or to give her something to do without [clears throat] breaking the mold of the perfect daughter." You know, when you when you're in a home, you you may have like the kid who's the troublesome kid, then you kind of become extra good to just kind of balance things out. and she notices that it brings her dad comfort and with her I think the pressure of her mom passing rests very much on her shoulders. >> She uh realizes how much she was playing that role that wasn't her either. And so in the end uh she was more accepting of who she is where she's like >> I realize I haven't been living my life at all. I've been living my father's idea of what my life should be. Chronology Shopan. >> Even you, Mortimer. >> You seem happy. >> I am. >> Charlotte's convictions and character inspires everyone to kind of, I think, live more authentically. >> I wasn't expecting that she's the kind of person who'd notice or be so self-aware enough to get to a point of realizing that I'm just living for my dad. This is not what I want, you know? I want to start living for myself. And I really like that. Edmund comes from a very rich rich family where it's easy to just kind of lounge about and like not have any direction in life because you don't really have to. You don't have that drive through necessity to really uh make something of yourself or to find who you are. So, it's easy for him to kind of just go to parties and just have like wild hedonistic experiences, but there is still that part of him that I think wants to do something with his life and be creative and everything. So, he's always tinkering, but in in a very lackadasical way, I think he can get away with that because he has time. He doesn't have to. Yeah. >> Yeah. Often with people that are well off, you have this idea of them that they look down on on poor people. Some of them do, but that has nothing to do with their wealth. >> Wealth does not make you dislike poor people. It's your character. That's it. >> The thing is also when you're given a lot of opportunities and options and you have the freedom to get into whatever you want to get into, there is an ease about you that other people don't have because they've been having to survive their whole lives. I really like him, you know, as a friend to Mortimer. He, first of all, believes in him enough to want to give him a chance and invest in him and sees that you've been getting fired from all of these jobs that you hated. Why don't you just start something of your own? >> There there's a difference between how they grew up cuz remember uh he's like, >> I simply must make my own way in the world. You are so wonderfully middle class. inevitably the fact when you grow up that much wealthier. >> Yeah. >> It your your your life experience is just different. I >> I don't think it's right, you know, to say things like, "Oh, that's so middle class of you." But at the same time, it shows a certain comfort. It shows a certain comfort with someone. Like, if you think about the things you say to people that you're close with and you feel safe around, that's true. the stuff that you say to them in private >> can can maybe even seem a bit like offensive or wow a bit you know for people that don't know the relationship don't know the comfort level like be like how are you comfortable just saying that stuff yeah >> we liked it >> nice [laughter] jinx you owe me a coke it's a great romcom but it also has a lot of other uh interesting themes that they could pull from because of the time it's set in and the event and the the situations >> yeah and that they do pull from because someone could be like me they didn't really cover the I don't know they didn't they didn't go too deep into into any one thing I guess that was going around. They they touch on class and poverty and the issues with the medical system or or women's rights. Yeah. So like they touch on a lot of stuff but they don't >> but they don't go very deep into it. But at the same time, you know, when I think about the movie is really like about the invention of the vibrator. So it does make sense that they're covering Mortimer. Like that's because he's the guy who invented it. But I do I just like the fact that it has those deeper undertones, [clears throat] >> but it's so light. You can watch that movie and not even think about the deeper undertones and just be laughing and just enjoying it throughout. I love the acting. Jonathan Price is so good. Maggie >> Mhm. >> Gyllenhaal. Oh my goodness. Yeah, >> Felicity Jones, I think, did a really good job because Emily is one of those. It's hard to do a good job or to do a fantastic, memorable job at a character that isn't, you know, pizzazzy and you know what I mean? >> Flashy and allowed to >> be expressive. >> Yeah. But she's playing a very demure character and I [clears throat] think she does that beautifully. It's fun. It's light. >> It's just a fun movie. And sometimes uh that might be honestly the best way to do it which is having a light movie that touches on a lot of interesting or important themes but is a good introduction to them or just cuz sometimes it's kind of like how sometimes truths sink in the best through comedy through jokes. So sometimes that's the best way to get introduced to something or to be able to think about something. themes. Themes the conventional standard way isn't always the right path for you. Uh >> this is itchy. >> I'm sure you've got it under control. >> I was trying to scratch it with just like doing this >> getting my skin to move, but it didn't work out. >> Only the the weakest itches, I think, can ever be solved by stretching your face out. >> Didn't work out, so I had to use my fingers. >> Sometimes it's [laughter] you have to be a little more uh >> thorough. >> Thorough. Yeah, >> Mortimer, as much as I think he didn't really fit in with the mainstream medical practices at the time, again, if you haven't experienced any other options or ways of approaching things, you know something's off, something's wrong, something that's not clicking, but how do you even start to know where to look? And then Mortimer is exposed to uh ways of living that align more with him, and then it starts to click and starts to come into place for him. Yeah, let me tell you that conventional path business. I've been I've fallen victim to that truly. I think it's really hard not to because there's a rubric. You do the things. You go to school, you go to university, and then you get a job and then you get married or wait, do you get married first and then get a job, get married, summer, one of those, and then you want to be a certain kind of person. If you want to be in these circles, you get this kind of job, you know, and you do these kinds of things and you listen to this kind of music and this and this, right? Because of that rubric, then you just kind of like, okay, this is what you got to do. and it gives you comfort. And if you're not going along with that rubric, you feel like you're doing something wrong. But it is not always something that you just come to realize. It's something that can take time. Sometimes it needs for you to get fired a couple of times like Mortimer did. Or sometimes it takes you meeting someone like Charlotte who who's actually living according to who she is, which is she's not a very she's not a conventional person. And you see that, oh, this person is actually living in her truth. She's living in accordance with who she is. And I think that gives Mortimer that courage to look at the truth of how she he's been living. He hasn't been been living the way that he wanted to. >> Mhm. Yeah. Another theme is the desire and need to live a fulfilling meaningful life. I think a lot of people they'll sacrifice that part of of their life for again the incentives of comfort, security, uh status, privilege, that kind of thing. But there's always something missing. And now everyone's idea of fulfilling and meaningful is different. But when you do sacrifice whatever that thing is for you, then you are left missing something. Mortimer wants to actually help his patients. Charlotte wants to help the poor, needy, and the underprivileged. Dr. Del Rimple. I think his being useful is being useful in his to his daughters in the way he sees it, which is like I am useful to them by continuing to allow them to live in the way that I raised them and to keep them safe and not having to do anything that I think would be dangerous for them. And then Emily is being useful by taking the load off the father and by doing what is expected of her. And Edmund is being useful by inventing things. He has a passion for the telephone. He loves calling people that have telephones. >> Who is this? Who is this please? >> Mr. Stanton, can you hear me? Can you hear me now? >> Yes. This is Edmund Singen Smise. >> No, I don't work at the telephone exchange. You see, I've installed this telephone and I wanted TO TEST IT. YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON THEY COULD CONNECT ME TO. >> I think he has an interest in technologies and inventions that could benefit people. Everybody is trying to find some kind of meaning to lead a useful life. >> Burning questions. [laughter] >> Edmmond and Emily, would they have made a good couple? >> Probably not because Edmond is gay. >> I realized like you remember when when he's had a party the night before, there's a guy [clears throat] on the stairs, >> right? Just sleeping there or whatever. Yeah. Well, I got the sense that he goes both ways. >> Oh, really? >> Yeah. I I got that he was just Yeah. Because uh because when Charlotte, you know, knocks into on her bicycle and she's riding away, he kind of is checking her out, too. So, I just get the sense that he just enjoys [snorts] bodily pleasures. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Okay, that's fair. [clears throat] Yeah. Would they have because I remember in the end like when I was watching it, I was like, >> I think they might. >> Yes. But so, you know, they could or they could not, I have to say. Do you think that uh the queen was able to relieve her per her uh hysteria and reach peroxism with a massager again? >> The queen the queen like that. >> I mean they showed it in the movie. It's there [music] >> by the way. Rip to the queen. >> Yes. RIP. And that would have been Queen Victoria at the time even. Yeah. So, did we say rip Queen Victoria? Some people don't like Queen Victoria because they don't like the Victorian age. >> Yes. >> But is that her fault? >> It's not her fault. >> She was a victim of the system like the rest of us. >> She's at the end of the day >> burning questions. Was Queen Victoria just a victim of the system. >> Yeah. [laughter] Yeah. Yeah. That's a burning question. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> But that's some stuff that we had to say about hysteria. [music] But what did you guys think? Let us know in the comments down below. Share your thoughts on our thoughts. Till next time. [music] Thanks for watching. Peace. >> You, madam, are a socialist. >> A [laughter] socialist? And what if I am? Are there not eight orsmen in a crew? Socialism at its heart is nothing more than a group pulling together. If women pulled together, if they weren't so frightened, there's no telling what we could accomplish. And this revolution that you're planning, will you achieve it all from here? >> Drop a stain in a pond and it will make ripples. It >> is a bit like a pond.