MovieChat Forums > The Aviator (2004) Discussion > Way too much focus on him being OCD/germ...

Way too much focus on him being OCD/germaphobe


We get it Scorsese, he's a germaphobe. It's really not that interesting of a character trait to hammer it into the audiences head.

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AS SOMEONE WHO DEALS WITH OCD...IT HAMMERS ITSELF INTO EVERYONE AROUND YOU'S HEAD DAILY...IT IS A DISTINCT CHARACTER TRAITTHAT CANT BE PUT AWAY.

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Well it's not interesting cinema. OCD means repetition. Repetition is not interesting.

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I completely disagree. The OCD factor is what originally drew me into this film, because it was a behavioral trait I had never seen portrayed in film before.

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Everytime this movie gets on a roll, they start focusing on his deafness or OCD. I understand that these are legit disorders he had but man does it drag the movie.

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I think the dragging effect is intentional. The Hughes character becomes obsessed with something, and so the film follows suit. Then we the viewers get a feel for his madness.

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I HADNT THOUGHT OF IT LIKE THAT...I THINK I SHOULD REWATCH THE FILM WITH THAT NOTION IN MIND...I LIKE THAT.

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Well it was a major part of him. He could have become so much more wealthier and lived at least 20 years longer if he had proper treatment for OCD.

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I LIKE THE MOVIE,BUT GET YOUR POINT...IVE MANAGED TO THIN MY OCD DOWN TO ALMOST NOTHING THROUGH YEARS OF WORK AND WEED...I WOULDNT WANT TO WATCH ANY HOME VIDEOS OF MYSELF DURING THE PEAK YEARS,JESUS CHRIST NO.

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What sort of stuff did you obsess over?

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Are you blind?

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I don't see good

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Sorry about that.

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Also, fuck you.

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Well, no thanks.

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Any DiCaprio is too much DiCaprio.

Agree on the OCD crap. A few minutes on it would’ve been too much.

Should’ve been a great movie but wasn’t.

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That was the ONLY aspect of this movie that was even remotely interesting.

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I mean where else would the "struggle/ conflict" be? just against Brewster and Juan by ignoring a massive part of his life and horrible affliction?

And it constantly was a hurdle to his passion and drive. it was truly difficult watching his madness take over

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You don't think it's interesting that a guy who took ENORMOUS risks and was a daredevil, both financially and literally, was also sometimes too petrified to open a door or even finish a sentence.

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I found it interesting!

The guy destroyed a beautiful neighborhood in Beverley Hills with some janky airplane but couldn't take a piss in a public cafe?
Strange guy, weird life, terrific movie.

Honestly, I felt sort of bad for the dude.
Excellent movie in any event.

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I love this movie, I think the OCD and germphobia thing was a big part of the character.
It obviously led to his downfall.

Sad story, great movie.

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I strongly disagree, I thought it was a crucial element to the story.

Howard Hughes, brazen test pilot, pioneering film maker, a multi-millionaire that courted a stable of Hollywood's greatest beauties was terrified by the common cold!

C'mon, that's the story right there!
The man was almost too bold, he built a ridiculously impractical gigantic wooden airplane and hijacked TWA, he employed so many people he hardly knew any of them, what a character, you couldn't make the guy up.... this guy had brass balls but the thought of getting the flu gave him fits!
He bottled his own piss in jars, that's pretty kooky, seriously!

What an amazing lunatic.

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