EXHIBITS
Mama 2013: The Story of Two
Dr. Gerald Dreyfuss, working with the mental institution, was over the case of Lily and Victoria. They stayed in the institution for eighty seven days trying to integrate back into society (00:17:52-00:24:15)
Lily- the youngest girl, has been placed in social isolation for most of her life. She didn’t know how to speak before Mama took her in, and she didn’t learn very much while in the care of Mama. Lily didn’t have a loving father and mother, and she had not been taught properly. After she leaves Mama’s care, she still does not know how to speak in properly structured sentences, and she does not act like a normal child. She eats moths (00:51:25) plays with bugs (00:55:53), and eats her sister’s hair (01:15:57). Both of the girls walk around on all four as well (00:17:14). She had to grow up on her own- which in turn, means hardly growing up at all.
Victoria- Victoria on the other hand, the main character of the film, struggles with regression. At the beginning of the film, she is raised in a healthy household for five years. As she grows up with Mama, she forgets how to live in human society; she regresses, and has to learn almost everything over again. She battles with choosing which life is going to be best for her: a wraith who has raised her, or an adopted mother figure. As Dr. Dreyfuss continues to work with Victoria, he uses hypnotherapy (00:25:10). As soon as Victoria is comfortable, he asks her to tell him the story of Mama. Victoria then goes on, and tells him everything she knows, a story from the 1800’s.
Both Lily and Victoria struggle with mental health. In the film, Dr. Dreyfuss does not diagnose the girls with a mental illness. The only thing he mentions, is that Victoria has repressed her days in the wilderness, and she has regressed within her learning process (00:24:55). Even though the girls are never properly diagnosed with an illness, the film shows scenarios where the girls do things that a healthy child would not do. Such as the before-mentioned habits.
Due to Victoria’s past, she was able to slowly grow and progress in a healthier way. Lily, was not as fortunate. She did not have the background of a healthy child, and was not able to adapt into a normal way of life. The girls’ lifestyle was not ideal because they did not live in a warm positive household.
Works Cited:
Mama, Directed by Adres Muchietti, performances by Jessica Chastain, and Megan charpentier, 2013
