We meet several other people suffering from dementia,
including a man named Henry who has been in a nursing home for a decade. And we
see him really come to life when the music is turned on. The music brings him
out of his shell; he is suddenly alert and engaged in the world around him.
The film does delve into the reasons why music has such a
strong effect. Dr. Oliver Sacks, a neurologist, says: “Music is inseparable
from emotion, so it’s not just a physiological stimulus.” He later adds: “The
parts of the brain which are involved in remembering music and responding to
music are not affected too much by Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.”
The film’s narrator tells us: “When we are young, music records itself in
our motions and emotions. Luckily, these are the last parts of the brain
touched by Alzheimer’s.” There is also an interesting section about human
development and its connection to rhythms. The narrator tells us: “Researchers
have studied the sounds of newborns and discovered that in their cries are
patterns that reflect their mother’s speech. This means that even before we’re
born, we are learning how to sing with another human being.”
The filmmaker followed Dan Cohen, who after discovering
the effect that playing one’s favorite music had on patients, has devoted his
energy to trying to bring music to people in nursing homes. And it doesn’t just
help dementia patients. The film introduces us to Steve, who has multiple
sclerosis, and who talks about how music was always important to him. “When
I ended up here, I lost all of my music. My world became this facility.”
There are moments in this film that are tremendously
touching, as when one patient suddenly tells his loved one he realizes it
hasn’t been an easy life for her and then tells her he loves her. Or the moment
a woman pushes away her walker to dance. I don’t mind telling you this film had
me in tears at times. Sure, near the end it almost becomes an advertisement for
itself, but that’s part of its attempt to spread the message and spread the
music. Because, hey, we’re all getting older. None of us is immune, and so this
film should provide some hope and inspiration to us all – first, to help those
elderly people in our own lives, and then perhaps, if necessary, to receive
such help ourselves.
Special Features
This DVD contains several special features, including
approximately thirty-six minutes of deleted scenes. The deleted scenes include
more on the effect of music on patients, as well as information on the aging
baby boomers and how the elderly in the United States are over-medicated. Much
of this footage is with Dr. Bill Thomas.
There is an interview with Dan Cohen, in which he talks
about what people can do to help, and the effect the documentary has had on
what he’s trying to achieve. There is some interesting information on a study
that was conducted to test the effect of music on people with dementia. This
interview is approximately fourteen minutes. There is also an interview with
director Michael Rossato-Bennett, who talks about what drove him to make the
film. His passion is clear in this interview, which is approximately nineteen
minutes.
The special features also include a look at the film’s
music, with printed words from composer Itaal Shur about specific pieces as
those pieces play. This feature is approximately thirty-one minutes. The film’s
trailer is also included.
The DVD also includes a commentary track by director
Michael Rossato-Bennett, who talks about how he originally started this project
by creating content for Dan Cohen’s website. It was going to be one day’s work.
He says that he filmed Henry that first day, and that without Henry there would
be no film. He also talks about a study that was conducted over a three-year
period, which resulted in a drastic decrease in the need for medication.
Michael says music “can basically send us into the part of our being that’s
actually very happy to be alive.”
Alive Inside was released on DVD and Blu-ray on
November 18, 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment