MovieChat Forums > Awakenings (1991) Discussion > Was rather sickened by one part

Was rather sickened by one part

posted 11 years ago by SpiltPersonality
29 replies | jump to latest

Hi All,

It's been a long long time since I've seen this, so please forgive me if I've mis-remembered some parts of the story.

I believe that in this movie Robin William's character increases the doses of L-Dopa more and more until a result is achieved. He went beyond what was recommended as a dosage, or beyond what he was authorised to give

If that is true, it's sickening. These people aren't lab-rats. The ends do not justify the means. There is little difference between this man and the doctors who undertook the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. In fact, he's probably more in the wrong as the catatonic patients could NOT give concent - informed or otherwise.

Again, I may have the film incorrectly memorised as it is probably 20 years since I've seen it, but I THINK what I've written above is correct.

SpiltPersonality

[–] al666940-3 8 years ago

Are you on the pipe?!!

1.- It was an experimental drug there wasn't much info on.
2.- The doctor went everywhere to get info on it but everybody acted "I'll let YOU do the damage"
3.- He cleared it with the hospital board
4.- He informed whatever guardians these patients had (and if none, then the state was the guardian, meaning the board, which he did inform)
5.- They weren't damaged by the l-dopa so much as they reverted to their original conditions, realising the limitations of l-dopa and full consequences.

To compare Sacks with a Mengele type of doctor is beyond the pale.

[–] I_Created_U 8 years ago

Agreed with everything.

Although, as another poster suggests, the book tells another story where some people were actually harmed and killed in the process. I have not read the book so i don't know myself, but if it's true, it does indeed raise questions in terms of professional ethics, reckless endangering of a human beings and the respect of human dignity.

That said, and as another poster suggests, although it doesn't satisfy current standards of methodology, the patients were still receiving the best care possible given the knowledge at the time. Nothing seemed to have been made out of maliciousness or opportunism, if we are to believe the story as depicted in this movie, that is.

All in all, if the story in the movie is close to what happened in real life, then i agree completely. Otherwise, i don't know since i cannot judge of what i'm unaware of, but it could change my opinion (duh).

People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs

[–] vfx_girl 7 years ago

An interesting point.

For some reason I assumed that the doctor would have had to get permission from a relative. If he didn't and the treatment was successful, wouldn't the legal issues block other patients from a possible cure (from further experiments)?