What Is “Catharsis”?

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

The Literary Definition of Catharsis

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

What Is Catharsis?

Catharsis is the release and relief of strong or repressed emotions. The word “catharsis” comes from the Greek “katharsis,” meaning “purification” or “cleansing.” In psychology, the American Psychological Association defines catharsis as “the release of affects associated with traumatic events that have 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 impact of tragic drama. Heroes in cathartic films often experience a cathartic release that leads to restoration.

What makes up catharsis in a story?

• The buildup of emotion
• Relevant experiences
• Connection with characters
• Moving performances

The History of Emotional Catharsis

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle described catharsis as the emotional purification of fear and pity aroused 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 their expression.

Today, however, the word has become synonymous with art. People often describe emotionally evocative art 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 artwork 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 the medium of film has specific qualities that can effectively evoke emotional responses from viewers.

The first of these qualities 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 audiences with its characters in a short period of time.

When the audience connects with the characters, everything the characters experience becomes more emotional. The best technique for achieving 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 incredible about this montage is how it evokes so much emotion in the first ten minutes of the film. The reason is that feelings of love and grief are part of the human experience. Humans have an innate connection to these two emotions. Filmmakers use both to heighten our feelings and then release them in an incredibly cathartic moment.

Film is also an extraordinarily visual medium. It lets us see characters experiencing emotions. Theater is of course visual as well, but film makes use of the close-up. This allows us to see the details of a character’s emotional state, further intensifying 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 carefully builds up the emotional weight by establishing Will’s abusive childhood and its impact on his life. Watch this example of catharsis, along with the excellent performance and execution.

Through the tools of filmmaking, the audience is able to witness his cathartic moment up close, creating a cathartic experience both for Will and for the viewers.

Of course, for this scene to reach its emotional peak, we need to understand everything that leads 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 kinds of experiences films can create.

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

Other films, however, are a more internal experience. As Scorsese put it, movies can convey emotional and psychological experiences. This is a defining trait of Scorsese’s directing style. What is the significance of catharsis? Why is it so important in film? Through catharsis, a movie can form an intimate connection with its audience.

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