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Multiple sclerosis on-screen: from disaster to coping

Institute for the History of Medicine and Medical Ethics, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 20, D-50931 Cologne, Germany, ajg02{at}uni-koeln.de

Background Fictional portrayals of multiple sclerosis (MS) in film and on television have remained largely unexamined to date. The aim of this review is consequently to catalog and analyse every available film with an MS motif.

Method The author has identified relevant productions by means of international film databases and by handsearch. Each film is systematically evaluated along neurological and cinematic lines.

Results Between 1941 and 2006 MS appeared as a theme in 23 films. Because screenplay writers often make use of medical knowledge, from a neurological perspective many films present a largely accurate picture of this disease's symptoms. The visual character of the medium and the effects of dramatic composition result in the prominence of certain symptoms. Ataxia, paralysis, blurred vision and fatigue are found in films with the same frequency as in epidemiological studies whereas sensory symptoms, eye movement disorders, incontinence and difficulties with sexual function were underrepresented. These films thematize the effects of MS on patients' self-image, the psychological adaptation process and their relations with proxy in a special way. Parallel with improvements in therapy and changing social attitudes toward the handicapped, these films have progressed from the earlier `disaster' to modern `coping' stories.

Conclusion The often life-like portrayal of MS distinguishes these films from the stereotypic representation of other neurological diseases. Because representations of MS in popular media have an immediate effect on an audience of millions, they deserve greater attention from professional neurology. Multiple Sclerosis 2008; 14: 530—540. http://msj.sagepub.com

Key Words: cinema • films • movies • multiple sclerosis • neurology/history • television

This version was published on May 1, 2008

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 14, No. 4, 530-540 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1352458507084587


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