Reply To: Awakenings (Year 2)

[Anonymous]

I watched this movie for the first time today, but I’ve had read about the disease – Encephalitis lethargica about a few weeks ago because of current worldwide epidemic crisis. Just from the description of the condition I’ve been shocked and heavyhearted that this is something people had suffered from. And it has made me far more melancholic to see this disease on the screen. But enough sadness for a moment. This movie was in the first place so heart-warming and hope giving despite all the sorrow. It motivates me to help people, especially old, often forgotten by everyone except hospital staff.
The character of Dr. Malcolm Sayer played by Robbie Williams straight away captivated me, because of his enthusiasm, obstinacy and kindness. I couldn’t help but think about the life of Robbie and how no one: neither medicine nor psychology couldn’t help him with his depression and dementia. His character in the movie shows that nothing is written in the stone and that there’s always hope if only one person decides to not give up. I also admired the character of Leonard’s mother, how she devoted her whole life to her son, how in some way she had lost her “perfect life”. As for the Leonard himself, I’ve got so much compassion for him, I image that almost everyone who watched the scene when he “awakes” had tears in their eyes. To a healthy human being it is a appeal to try live life to the fullest and to be appreciating about everything, even the smallest things like reading a book or going dancing.
It’s a story how in this world full of horrible diseases we’ve been also given the power to fight them or to at least try.