Reply To: Awakenings (Year 2)

[Anonymous]

“Awakenings” is not a movie like many others we know. The plot seems to be turned upside down. At the very beginning it appears hopeful and positive with all good news about the therapy for patients suffering from encephalitis, but then leaves us without spectacular happy ending. Character of Dr. Sayer is pure and devoted to his new patients. It is amazing how hard he is trying to find way to “awake” victims of the “sleeping sickness”.
Personally I can’t even imagine how would it be like to be a prisoner of your own body. It is cruel injustice. I must admit that the movie is eye-opening and helped me to appreciate my own health.
About the therapy with new drug back then, called L-DOPA – I have never heard about it before. Using this drug was brave and risky at the same time. When patients started behaving aggressively even doctors had no idea if it was side effect of taking L-DOPA or maybe psychological abreaction. Drug helped to bring patients back to life but unfortunately not for a long time. Main character – Leonard, who was the first sufferer taking medicine, evokes positive emotions. After spending 30 years of his life stuck in catatonic state he has a chance for a normal life again. But when L-DOPA stops working in his body he sacrifice himself and want to be a case on which Dr. Sayer could study (as when he wanted to be filmed while he was having a stroke). It is heartbreaking hearing his words: “I’m not a parson anymore but collection of tics”.
Movie itself is brilliant lesson about morality, hard work, faith, friendship and many others. Honestly, there is minimal probability that I would chose to watch this movie myself, so I’m very glad that we had to do it. It is unbelievable how one story can make us appreciate world around us.