Thomas Szasz and the Myth of Mental Illness (1989)

Thomas Szasz and the Myth of Mental Illness explores the biography and the philosophy of controversial psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, in particular paying attention to the legal implications and social consequences of his theories. The film centers around a spirited debate between Szasz and Dr. Herbert Pardes (President, American Psychiatric Association) concerning a dramatic, fictionalized case history, and also incorporates provocative questioning by such luminaries as William F. Buckley, Jr. (editor, The National Review), Alan M. Dershowitz (Harvard Law School), and Karen DeCrow (Past President, National Organisation of Women). Yet this film is more than a traditional documentary. By using cinematic and narrative strategies that raise questions about the factual and/or fictive film material, the movie's techniques mirror the philosophical issues at the center of Szasz's thought: the audience must continually think, and repeatedly re-evaluate, their socially-conditioned attitudes toward those labeled 'mentally ill'. The result is a complex, entertaining, and even-handed portrait of Dr. Thomas Szasz and his philosophy.