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 awaken and release these feelings, a process known as catharsis. Catharsis can be an overwhelming emotional experience. Films with a cathartic effect can move audiences to tears while leaving them completely satisfied. What is catharsis?

The Literary Definition of Catharsis

Catharsis is a widely used term in art whose origins can be traced back to art itself. What is the meaning of catharsis? Let’s define it and look at its origins.

What Is Catharsis?

Catharsis is the release and relief from strong or repressed emotions. The word “catharsis” comes from the Greek “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 those events back into consciousness and re-experiencing them.”

As it applies to film and art, emotional catharsis can be the outcome of the emotional impact of tragic drama. Heroes in cathartic films often undergo a cathartic release that leads to restoration.

What makes up catharsis in a story?

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

A Brief 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 them to be expressed.

Today, however, the word has become almost synonymous with art. People often describe emotionally evocative works of 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 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 forms of art 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 audiences.

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

When viewers identify with the characters, everything those characters go through 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 these characters, and then tragedy befalls 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 love and sorrow 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 incredibly visual medium. It lets us see characters going through emotions. Theater is of course visual as well, but film uses the close-up. This allows us to 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 its impact on his life. Take a look at this example of catharsis and the superb performance and execution.

By allowing us to witness his cathartic moment up close through the tools of filmmaking, the scene creates a cathartic experience for both Will and the audience.

Of course, for this scene to reach its emotional peak, we have to recognize 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, “It isn’t the 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 movies are purely escapist, allowing audiences to get away from reality for at least an hour or so. These kinds of films have tremendous value. Even so, there is a clear distinction.

Other films are a more inward experience. As Scorsese said, cinema 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, movies can build an intimate connection with the 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 cinema lies not in how many people see the film, but in how the film stays with viewers afterward.