Short abstract
BBC1, 21 April 2004 at 9 pm
Rating: ★★★★
Much debated and relatively rare, dissociative identity disorder is a condition in which a patient has two or more personalities. It is purported to follow severe childhood trauma or abuse and is assumed to be a protective mechanism of the mind. May 33rd, Guy Hibbert's drama about this disorder, used accounts from women who claim to have suffered ritual abuse to create the character of 35 year old Ella Wilson. In Ella we saw how the change from one personality to another could happen instantly, leaving her scared, confused, and vulnerable. One second Ella was enjoying a cigarette, the next she was repulsed by it.
One day she consulted osteopath Edward Sorgesen. He quickly realised the complexity of her problem—that she led disparate lives as five different personalities. Edward soon assumed the role of Samaritan. A harrowing story unfolded.
After the slow and beautiful development of trust between the two, Edward learnt from Ella's medical records that she had a severely scarred cervix and Fallopian tubes as a result of brutal childhood abortions following ritual abuse. She talked about this lucidly as one of her five personalities. The rituals continued to the present day and Ella was called repeatedly on a mobile phone by her abusers while lodging with Edward and his wife and son. Her phone's ring tone acted as a trigger, snapping her back into the submissive personality, allowing her to be beguiled back to her abusers.
Figure 1.
May 33rd: a refreshing portrayal of mental illness
Credit: BBC
An alarming feature of this film was the unpredictability surrounding any severe mental health problem. What can be done to protect these people? How can others be educated about their changeable behaviour? At one point, Edward offered to go with Ella and the police to the house of her abusers. She explained that the police would yet again ignore the claims of a woman with known mental health problems and would end up apologising to her abusers for wasting their time.
The power of May 33rd was its realism—no distracting Hollywood glitter, but just a television audience and a humbling feeling of “There but for the grace of God...”
This compelling one-off production was truly refreshing. It clearly brought home how a mental health problem—acute or chronic—could be just as terrifying as any other major illness. The tragic end to this film showed Ella coming full circle. Innocent, helpless, and mentally ill, and having finally found and felt emotional warmth, she ended up back in the realm of her tormentors. Could this outcome have been avoided? This film opened up our minds to the possibility that it could.