What Is “Catharsis”

When was the last time you cried while watching a movie? Do you remember the specific scene? Many people suppress their emotions because of various events in their lives. Art can evoke the emotional release of these feelings, also known as catharsis. Catharsis can be an overwhelming emotional experience. Films with cathartic power 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 is the meaning of catharsis? 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 “katharsis,” meaning “purification” or “cleansing.” In the field of psychology, the American Psychological Association defines catharsis as “the release of effects associated with traumatic events, previously repressed, by bringing these events back into consciousness and re‑experiencing them.”

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

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 psychic 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 connect to the audience’s psyche. Art can trigger emotional catharsis by tying into the audience’s personal experiences.

Cathartic art often reflects our own experiences. It allows us to connect with art and artists 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 its own specific qualities that can effectively provoke emotional responses in audiences.

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

Once audiences connect with characters, everything the characters experience becomes more emotionally charged. The best technique to accomplish this is the montage. A montage condenses time and events to create a narrative sequence. The montage in Pixar’s Up connects us to these characters, only for tragedy to befall them.

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

Film is also an extraordinarily visual medium. It lets us see characters experiencing emotions. Theater, of course, is also visual, but film uses the close‑up. This allows us to see the details of a character’s emotions, further provoking our own emotional responses.

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. Watch 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 audience.

Of course, for this scene to reach its emotional peak, we must recognize everything that leads up to it. Keep in mind: 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, that’s not movies 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 that films can create.

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

Other films, however, are a more internal experience. As Scorsese said, cinema can convey emotional and psychological experiences. This is a defining characteristic of Scorsese’s directing style. What is the meaning of catharsis? Why is it so important in film? Through catharsis, films can build an intimate connection with the audience.

Cathartic films often linger in our minds. They not only affect how we see the world, but very likely how we see ourselves. The value of catharsis in film does not lie in the size of its audience, but in how the film stays with viewers long after they’ve watched it.