Movies

The film Wit was directed by Mike Nichols and is starred by Emma Thompson. It is based on the play of the same title written by Margaret Edson. The story revolves around the protagonist and how she deals with cancer. The film is a masterpiece. It delves on death, humanity and the academia.

The main character Vivian Bearing is a professor of English literature and she specializes in metaphysical poetry. She has taken a fascination for the works of John Donne who writes sonnets on death. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer and the only possible cure is intensive chemotherapy. Suddenly, one who thirsts for knowledge becomes a specimena subject for research. At some points in the movie, the protagonist is seen having flashbacks but is shown in her current stateold, bald and dressed in a patient gown. In her condition, she ponders about death as stated in the sonnets of Donne. At one point, she realizes that the treatment actually imperils her health and she revels on the thought just like how she thought Donne would revel on this paradox and how her students would wonder about it.

In the hospital setting, she finds the greetings a little awkward. Instead of saying hi or hello, people always ask her How are you feeling and she always emphatically replies that she is fine. Whenever she will undergo a test, she always has to say her name and her doctors name. After some time, it came naturally. The setting is sad in the sense that she had no one else. When she isnt with doctors, she is always alone. She had to deal with the cancer without family. She has however found a friend in the chief nurse, the only one in the hospital who has really shown concern over her condition.

The film is ironic and cruel. For the sake of research, the doctor wanted to resuscitate her even as a Do Not Resuscitate Order has been given. Most of the time, the protagonist is pictured as lecturing the audience like she is lecturing her students. This setting greatly mirrors the characters state of mind.

Just before she dies, someone finally visits her. It was her mentor. The mentor reads to her the story of the The Runaway Bunny, an important book from her childhood. After the story, she falls into a deep sleep never bound to wake up again.

The cast chosen were perfect. Emma Thompsons performance was excellent. She played the role of the literature professor very well. The acting was good as she was able to portray the weakness and the suffering of the character while still projecting great wisdom. The main character even shaved her head for the film to be more realistic. She was able to portray suffering by her facial expression and she was able to project intelligence through the script. Kelekian (Lloyd) and Posner (Woodward) also portrayed their roles well.

Age and appearance also suit the characters very well. Lloyd portrayed the role of a researcher in Kelekian. The tone of his voice was perfect for the role. Woodward portrayed the role of a young doctor and also a researcher thirsting for knowledge. In one scene, he was nervous at having to treat her previous mentor. He was uneasy since Vivian Bearing was a strict professor. On the other hand, Monahan (McDonald) showed great concern over the ailing professor. Her facial expressions and movements showed that she really empathizes with the protagonist. Lastly, Ashford (Atkins) portrayed the role of a mentor who stood by her student until the end. Somehow, she radiated an aura of someone with great wisdomprobably because of her age. She was also able to portray love towards her student.