Cinematography of Eating Disorders: An Analysis of Binge Eating in the Movie "The Whale"

Abstract

This article aimed to carry out a cinematographic analysis of the film "The Whale", released in 2022, from the perspective of binge eating disorder. The main objective was to examine specific excerpts from the film in relation to the symptoms and act of binge eating, as well as exploring the dynamics of the relationship between binge eating and food, also considering the social and psychological aspects covered in the work. The analysis was divided into four categories: Symptoms of binge eating, Support network and socio-affective bonds, Guilt, grief and impacts on self and Giving up on self and redemption. In general, it was observed that the protagonist of the film has Severe Binge Eating Disorder as a diagnostic hypothesis, presenting the main symptoms of this problem, and that his support network is of great help in moments of physical crisis and sharing.Finally, his giving up on himself in the face of episodes of binge eating is designed for redemption with his daughter and a process of reconnection with her, being fulfilled and ending the film with this quest achieved. This study provided an in-depth understanding of binge eating and its implications, through the interpretation of the film's visual and narrative representations, contributing to the expansion of knowledge on the subject and its representation in cinema, while at the same time encouraging reflections on the socio-affective and psychological aspects involved in the the health-disease process.