Does this retelling of Howard Hughes’ story provide a valuable depiction of OCD symptoms or does it risk further entrenching misunderstandings?
Howard Hughes (1905-1976) was an American businessman and aerospace engineer. After becoming a prominent figure in 20th century Hollywood, he became better known in his later years for his reclusive and eccentric behaviour. He was also depicted by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2004 film The Aviator, documenting his career in both the film and aviation industries as well as his intensifying symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly relating to a fear of germs and contamination. Relevant scenes include Hughes’ mother expressing her concern about cholera outbreaks during childhood bath times, an older Hughes washing his hands to the point of drawing blood (see below), and Hughes eventually retreating to a “germ-free zone” for months on end. As there was no psychiatric classification for Hughes’ experiences at the time, his symptoms worsened as a result of improper treatment.
Biographers have argued that Howard Hughes may not have been as successful if it weren’t for the “feverish perfectionism”1 depicted in The Aviator, like the scene where he repeats his requests to see “the blueprints” again and again.
When producing this film, Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese conducted in-depth research into Hughes’ life, met with clinicians specializing in OCD, and heard from those with lived experiences of similar symptoms, much like producers of Mr. Robot and EastEnders. Leonardo DiCaprio has also discussed his own experiences of OCD2, which was first diagnosed in childhood. As a result, The Aviator’s depiction of OCD closely aligns with biographical descriptions of Hughes’ life, including how his mother was “terrified”3 of her son catching polio, Hughes’ debilitating fear of germs1, his reclusive behaviour1, and his delegation of compulsions to staff3 (e.g. giving them complex instructions for using tissues and cellophane to handle objects like spoons and his hearing aid). Fans of the film have also praised this as one of the “best”4 and “most accurate”5 depictions of OCD in popular media.
However, this in-depth portrayal of Hughes may also risk being misunderstood, for example with some seeing him as “nuts”4 or “truly mad”1. In addition, a 1993 episode of The Simpsons documents the success of eccentric billionaire Mr. Burns after he opens a casino. However, he then becomes increasingly reclusive and afraid of germs – no longer cutting his hair or nails, wearing tissue boxes on his feet, and designing models of planes6. Commentators widely agree that this episode was emulating details of Howard Hughes’ life and mental health symptoms, including those depicted in The Aviator, in a humorous way, potentially undermining the severity of such experiences.
Production of The Aviator was also linked to a resurgence of Leonardo DiCaprio’s own OCD symptoms7, comparable to online users discussing similar changes after watching the film which could have positive or negative effects depending on whether this clarifies their self-understanding4 or leads to a resurgence of symptoms8.
I agree with the people who say The Aviator is the most accurate depiction of OCD in a movie. It captures really well that feeling of ‘suffocation’ people with OCD experience, not only in the blueprint scene you mentioned, but also in the one with the ‘come in with the milk’. It shows what it’s like to be a prisoner inside your own compulsions and obsessions. I once read a paper that described OCD as a kind of ‘malady of free will’, where you feel like you don’t have the agency to choose what to do, and must act on your compulsions (It’s a really thought-provoking philosophical discussion that I won’t go further into here, but it’s definitely worth researching and reflecting on!). This sense of lack of freedom is also reflected in his reclusive behaviour. He was literally living in a ‘cage’ he created himself, which mirrors how his mind was trapped in the cycle of compulsions and obsessions.
I think people making those movies and portrayals should try to use their work to educate the audience about the condition, especially about something as debilitating and misunderstood as OCD, regardless of the genre, and not diminish it like The Simpsons episode did, which is older than The Aviator. So maybe the movie even helped people feel more empathy towards Howard Hughes now. Thus, for me, the benefits of an accurate biographical portrayal outweigh the risks, because accuracy and empathy help increase understanding.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, depictions of OCD in The Aviator definitely feel different to other examples in the media but it can sometimes be hard to pinpoint exactly why this is. Maybe it is because we follow Howard Hughes as a character throughout the entire movie which provides the audience with enough context to more comprehensively understand what it must have been like to experience his symptoms. Fleeting exposure to OCD-themes in other medias, where there may only be time to present limited information for example, may be more at risk of misinterpretation or encourage the audience to make quicker presumptions about what it is like to have this disorder. However, in-depth biographical depictions may not always be possible and shorter-form content might have a wider reach?