Depression Reflected In The Film Rust And Bone

The motion picture Rust and Bone was released in 2012 and starred actors Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. This film depicts the story of a young lady named Stephanie who has to come to terms with the mental and physical repercussions of a work-related accident. This is intertwined with the story of a wayward father named Ali and his journey to understanding love. Throughout the film, Stephanie, the young lady who loses her legs while at work, must not only come to terms with her newfound disability but must also confront a society that no longer sees her in the same regard as those who do not have a disability. The maltreatment and avoidance that Stephanie faces from a society that once accepted her as one of its own is not uncommon

In the article Becoming Visible: Lessons in Disability, author Brenda Jo Brueggemann discusses how although individuals with disabilities make up the largest minority group, many of these disabilities are undetectable just by looking at someone. (Brueggemann 369) Depression can be one of these invisible disabilities and because of this, it would understandably be difficult for Stephanie to find someone to talk to about how she was feeling. This is made doubly hard by the stigma that comes along with talking about mental disabilities such as depression. Many people feel ashamed, misunderstood, and unable to successfully communicate their feelings, leaving them isolated from others who may feel the same way. Although Stephanie attempts to convey how she is feeling to Ali, his understanding is inadequate for much of the movie, which does little to help Stephanie. She is instead left alone in a sense and forced to overcome this obstacle, which is arguably more difficult to handle than the physical disability