Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Hysteria, a film that is hardly a realistic portrayal of 1880's London, is based on true events and true beliefs about women's psyches and anatomy that are laughably outrageous today, but were taken as gospel not much more than a century ago.
The term "hysteria" refers to a medical diagnosis that dates back to ancient Greece, but was incredibly common in the late 1800's. Women were far more commonly diagnosed with hysteria than men, and the symptoms ranged from a high libido, to frigidity, to muscle spasms, to intense emotions. Symptoms of hysteria were like astrological horoscopes: vague and all-encompassing enough to be found in anyone.
Nowadays, it's generally accepted that "hysteria" was a way of diagnosing most women as "crazy", "irrational", or "unsatisfied". Anyone who was a challenge to the male-dominated society of the time could easily be filed away as just another "hysterical woman". And although we've come a long way since the days of forced institutionalization, hysterectomies, and clitoridectomies as "treatments" for hysteria, it's not uncommon to see women's emotions and sexual appetites classified as irrational, neurotic, and somehow wrong or less-than compared to men's emotions and sexual appetites.
Speaking of prescriptive beliefs about women's sexuality and bodies, Hysteria might just be the perfect movie for 2012. While we're in the middle of a weird cultural discussion about whether birth control--let alone abortion--should be considered basic health care (it should), Hysteria, in a light-hearted fashion, reminds us that women's basic dignity and autonomy over their bodies, education, and finances are fundamental to a modern, humane society. How many other mainstream romantic comedies have a character defending socialism and providing not just donations of money, but donations of time, energy, and man hours to the poor? How many other movies today take women's sexual pleasure seriously--and with a smile and a laugh--and not something to be punished for?
It's hard to be a feminist in a society where people see feminism as irrelevant ("didn't all that stuff happen in the '70's?"), stereotyped ("Does that mean you hate men?"), or dismissed ("Yeah, yeah...but what about men's rights?"). Especially since, hey, it's totally not irrelevant at all! I mean, legislation is being passed to severely limit women's health care and bodily autonomy. Even if you're pro-life, it sets a scary and dangerous precedent. Hysteria is a film that is set in the Victorian Age, but infused with the values of our time. For some moviegoers, that is an understandable annoyance. But I feel like we need this movie in 2012, if only as a reminder that not too long ago, a woman who acted rebellious or difficult could be put away in a mental institution for life, against her will, and subject to unneeded and unwanted surgery--hysterectomy, clitoridectomy, even lobotomy. And that was wrong and inhumane.
Progressiveness happens in cycles. The pendulum sways; and this is a good thing. Too much liberalism can cause confusion. Too much conservatism can lead to stagnancy. But no matter what "phase" society is in, human dignity is non-negotiable. And, in our society, that goes double for women's dignity and rights--not because they're more important than men's rights, but because they are more tenuous. Misogyny is a bigger, more widespread problem than misandry, just as racism towards minorities is more of a problem than "reverse racism" towards whites/majorities. Don't believe me? Just turn on the news.
Hysteria is a fun and important reminder that women deserve freedom and pleasure, and that life is better when we think of those less fortunate than ourselves--and help them selflessly. Rebecca West said, "Feminism is the radical notion that women are people". You'd be surprised about how many people--men AND women--forget this! When we treat other people with dignity, it gives us dignity and separates us from other animals. No matter what your politics, if you don't see women as equal to men, racial and ethnic minorities as equal to majorities, and poor people as equal to the rich and middle class, you need to rethink your belief system. It really is non-negotiable.
4 out of 5 stars
PS: Hysteria is about the invention of the vibrator as a treatment for hysteria. Forgot to mention that!
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