Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

I've always thought I was pretty crazy. But then again, only people who think they're sane and normal are the truly crazy ones, right? And, besides, while I may be crazy, I've not been locked in the snake pit... er, I mean mental hospital... which is a good thing. I have a feeling mental hospitals have improved since the 40s, but, in any case, The Snake Pit isn't a walk in the park.

The Snake Pit is a genuinely groundbreaking work. It was made in 1948, stars Olivia De Havilland, has the typical classic Hollywood window-dressing, and an overly optimistic ending, but at the same time is a truly strong depiction of a mentally ill woman. The film isn't as graphic as today's films would be, but I'm sure many viewers of 2004 would still find much connection with what is going on here.

I would not want to be in her situation. To be in an insane asylum is to unwillingly give up your independence, at least in this story. You become a child, a ward of the state, one who is not taken seriously or believed... why, because you're crazy!! Our heroine finds herself shuffled from ward to ward due as much by other people's misunderstandings and agendas as it is her own doing.

For example, there's a scene where she's being questioned by staff to see if she is indeed well enough to be released, and into the care of her husband's mother at her farm. One of the doctors is gruff and cold in his questioning, so much so he wags his finger right up to her face. The pressure upon her breaks her down to the point where she ends up biting his finger! And, therefore, instead of being released, is restrained and sent down to a more strict ward.

Eventually, she finds herself in the absolute worst ward of all, where everyone is truly rock bottom. They talk to themselves and act out. Some of them are catatonic. This is where she has the idea of being in a snake pit -- of being in a pit full of snakes deep into the ground. It's interesting that Ward One is the nicest ward in the place, considering -- with clean conditions, good food, and few people, while the higher numbers of the wards experience descending levels of quality. And the "snake pit" is the absolute worse.

De Havilland's character has had a "nervous breakdown", although it's clearly a lot worse than that. She hears voices, has repressed her memories and frequently acts out. She can't even remember her own husband when the film begins. Her mental problems are very complex, and it's up to one doctor, who truly wants to help her, rather than be like the other doctors who'd rather get her released as quickly as possible, to alleviate the overcrowding, which is a problem on its own. This doctor is the sort of guy who treats every case as if were the "big" one -- he's a truly dedicated doctor.

This was pretty strong stuff for its day, and still interesting right now. The movie is very artful in depicting her mental illness. The script wastes no time in getting us involved in her dilemma. The first scene shows her sitting in the asylum grounds, hearing voices, questioning her surroundings, saying irrational things -- generally removed from reality. The movie carefully reveals to us how and why she's got to this point, as we see during a conversation between her husband and the doctor. The husband marries this woman, whom he loves and has lots in common with, only to see her suddenly turn on a dime, and explode in a rage which involves self-hatred, forgetting her surroundings, and denying her reality. Actually, her change isn't that sudden, as she's done a few odd things during their courtship which the husband only now realizes was significant. In this case, it involved something to do with times and dates, specially May 12th.... what's this all about?

The doctor decides to find out the truth. Eventually, he finds out the root causes of her illness, hidden deep within her past.

I won't reveal everything, but it's clear her mental illness is something a few of us can relate to. She doesn't think anyone can love her. She doesn't think she deserves anyone, and this is due to a few critical events in her life. Her situation is something a few of us can horribly relate to. Some people really personalize things which happen in their lives. Some people feel guilty and helpless because they can't control their lives, and sometimes this makes people succumb to mental anguish, etc. I know I feel helpless about a lot of things which have happened to me -- although I've not suffered the same sort of melodrama this woman has! Some people deal with their issues, while some people repress their reality to such a point they can be like this woman, who completely shuts away her reality and hides out in her own world instead of being able to deal with the real one.

Mental issues are quite complicated, that's for sure. And this movie does a decent job of depicting this woman's issues. It's a sad story, and the movie tells it well. It's true the movie ends a little too neatly for some modern viewers -- but for me it wasn't a bother. This was the first big cinematic treatment of mental illness, and does a great job.

As a vintage movie, The Snake Pit is pretty well perfect. I know the film would be a lot more graphic, and less neat in its wrap-up, if it were made today (think of Jessica Lange in Frances, which is a great and more graphic movie and is set in the same era as The Snake Pit.). But as a groundbreaking Hollywood movie, it's a classic.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening