What Is “Catharsis”?

When was the last time you cried while watching a movie? Do you still remember the specific scene? Many people suppress their emotions because of various events in their lives. Art can evoke the release of these feelings, also known as catharsis. Catharsis can be an overwhelming emotional experience. Films with cathartic effect can move audiences to tears while also leaving them fully satisfied. What is catharsis?

The Literary Definition of Catharsis

Catharsis is a term widely used in art, and its origin can be traced back to art itself. What does catharsis mean? Let’s define catharsis and analyze its origins.

What Is Catharsis?

Catharsis is the release and relief of strong or repressed emotions. The word “catharsis” comes from the Greek word “katharsis,” meaning “purification” or “cleansing.” In the field of psychology, the American Psychological Association defines catharsis as “the release of affect associated with traumatic events that had previously been repressed, by bringing these events back into consciousness and re-experiencing them.”

As it applies to film and art, emotional catharsis can be the result of the emotional effect of tragic drama. Heroes in cathartic films often go through a cathartic release that leads to recovery.

What does catharsis in a story consist of?

• The buildup of emotion
• Relevant experiences
• A connection with the characters
• Moving performances

The History of Emotional Catharsis

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle described catharsis as the emotional purification of fear and pity brought about by tragedy.

The term was later adopted by psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Josef Breuer. For them, catharsis was a therapeutic technique used to reduce psychological complexes by bringing them back into consciousness and allowing them to be expressed.

Today, however, the word has become synonymous with art. People often describe art that evokes emotion as cathartic. Music, theater, novels, and film can all contain cathartic elements that relate to the audience’s psychology. Art can trigger emotional catharsis by connecting with the audience’s personal experiences.

Cathartic art often reflects our own experiences. It allows us to connect with the work and the artist on a deeper level. One of the best mediums for creating cathartic art is film.

What Is Catharsis in Film?

Various art forms can produce catharsis. Music, novels, and theater can be incredibly emotional. But film as a medium has specific qualities that can effectively elicit emotional responses from the audience.

The first quality is film’s ability to condense time. Through editing, a movie can show us weeks, months, or even years in a matter of seconds. When done effectively, a film can connect the audience with its characters in a short span of time.

When audiences connect with characters, everything the characters go through becomes more emotional. The best technique for doing this is the montage. A montage condenses time and events to create a narrative sequence. The montage in Pixar’s Up connects us with the characters, only for tragedy to befall them.

What’s remarkable about this montage is how it evokes so much emotion in the first ten minutes of the film. The reason is that the emotions of love and sorrow are part of the human experience. Humans have an innate connection to these two feelings. Filmmakers use both to heighten our emotions and release them in incredibly cathartic moments.

Film is also an incredibly visual medium. It allows us to see characters experiencing emotion. Theater is of course visual as well, but film uses the close-up. This lets us see the details of a character’s emotions, further triggering our own emotional response.

In Good Will Hunting, there is a cathartic moment when Will releases his repressed emotions to his friend and psychologist. The film builds emotion by establishing Will’s abusive childhood and how it has affected his life. Take a look at this example of catharsis and the excellent performance and execution.

The audience is able to witness his cathartic moment up close through filmmaking, creating a cathartic moment for both Will and the viewers.

Of course, for this scene to reach its emotional peak, we need to recognize everything that led up to it. Remember, the greater the buildup and repression, the greater the release.

The Value of Catharsis

When asked about Marvel movies, director Martin Scorsese famously compared them to theme parks, saying, “That’s not cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.” Whether or not you agree with Scorsese, there is something to be said about the different experiences films can create.

Some films are purely escapist, allowing audiences to get away from reality for at least an hour or two. These types of films have tremendous value. Even so, there is a clear distinction.

Other films, however, are a more internal experience. As Scorsese said, film can convey emotional and psychological experiences. This is a defining feature of Scorsese’s directorial style. What is the meaning of catharsis? Why is it so important in film? Through catharsis, films can form intimate connections with audiences.

Cathartic films often linger in our minds. They influence not only how we see the world, but also how we see ourselves. The value of catharsis in film lies not in how many people watch it, but in how the film stays with its viewers afterward.