SECOND OPINION:The process of ageing can be seen in a different light, writes DES O'NEILL
SUMMER HOLIDAYS represent a wonderful opportunity to temporarily reverse the time impoverishment of modern life. Traditionally, we catch up with the pile of unread novels we picked up over the year. Now, with the ready availability of a wide range of inexpensive DVDs, we can also finally get those impulse buys out of their virginal cellophane wrappers and enjoy them in a relaxed and receptive mood.
If you would like to consider a new angle, and explore (and be entertained) by the major social phenomenon of our time – ageing – while relaxing after a day on the beach or visiting cultural highlights, you can access a treasure house of cinematic pleasure for less than €10 a throw, and often for considerably less.
A first stop could be the mould-breaking comedy Tatie Danielle (Auntie Danielle). The tagline from this French minor classic from 1990 – “She hasn’t met you yet, but she hates you already” – gives some clue that this is not going to be the sweet little old lady of cliche. Indeed, it is the very contrast between her meek external appearance and her quietly malicious and destructive behaviour that provides not only the guilty pleasure and dramatic tension of this movie, but also rescues older people from stultifying caricature as meek, mild and less individual. Indeed, you are also being unconsciously inducted into one of the cornerstones of gerontology; that we become more individual as we age.
We can see this again in the magisterial and complex performance of the 78-year-old Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, unafraid to show deeply unattractive features and individuality in a role that combines elements of Victor Meldrew with Charles Bronson.
Michael Caine, in a similar vein, seems to relish the opportunities of showing a three-dimensional portrayal of ageing, unafraid that we will fail to engage and empathise with complex and conflicted characters. His reluctant novice vigilante in Harry Brown and ex-magician struggling with early dementia in Is Anybody There? – both also made in his eighth decade – show a subtlety and depth that remind us of the gains of ageing that the general public may not generally appreciate.
In stark contrast is the entertaining Cocoon: while at one level the storyline of the dismal group of pensioners rejuvenated by aliens to behave as youngsters – including Don Ameche’s impressive break-dancing – is funny, the concept that it is only by behaving like younger people that older people can live lives of value is actually inherently ageist.
The calmer pace of vacation might also allow us to take the time to absorb some of the slightly knottier but hugely rewarding classics of world cinema. Intergenerational conflict and neglect is beautifully captured in the 1953 classic Tokyo Story. An ageing couple leave their rural home to visit their children in Tokyo, only to meet with neglect from their urbane and urbanised offspring. The daringly static camera work and the gentle unfolding of the story are deeply affecting, and with hindsight we can see the progress in our longevity – the “elderly” couple are only in their 60s.
Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries recounts two journeys of a 78-year-old doctor. On the surface it is a long road journey to collect an honorary degree, but in reality it is his life review through memories, dreams and the experiences of the hitchers he picks up. It is one of the most accessible and eventually tranquil of Bergman’s films, a tour de force that gains with each repeated viewing.
Other candidates include David Lynch’s The Straight Story – another road trip – with the 73-year-old Alvin Straight travelling 240 miles on a lawnmower to reunite with his estranged and ill brother, and the harrowing Romanian The Death of Mr Lazarescu, showing the universality of age and poverty as risk factors for bad attitudes by “care” staff.
But the finest art is that which conceals itself, and the most remarkable film on ageing in recent years is Pixar’s wonderful animated movie Up. You do not need children to enjoy this masterpiece – the first 10 minutes cover death, infertility and life-long disappointment. No film has so entertainingly evoked the wider themes of ageing: wisdom, altruism, negotiation, and that combination of “tough but frail” that increasingly characterises older people in the 21st century. Enjoy!
Prof Des O’Neill is a consultant in geriatric and stroke medicine.