Breaking The Fourth Wall In The Movie 'Wit'

Based on Wikipedia, the concept of breaking the fourth wall was attributed to the dramatist Denise Diderot. It is when you are speaking directly to the audience and acknowledging them, thus breaking the fourth wall. It is considered metatheatre. Breaking the fourth wall is something we see a whole heap of in the movie and the play Wit. In fact, I would argue it is this very maneuver to make this movie phenomenal. The film’s opening scene moves at a quick pace. In brief, abstemious dialogue Dr. Harvey Kelekian diagnoses Professor Bearing. A beat later, Dr. Kelekian begins explaining an experimental research procedure. He, then, asks if Dr. Bearing desires him to explain her situation to any family members. She says, “That won’t be necessary”. She signs the papers and agrees to participate. Doctor Vivian Bearing goes under rigorous and painful experimental treatments. She is treated like a lab rat and the only humanity shown to her is by her nurse. She even says in the movie, “They read me like a book. Once I did the teaching, now I am taught”.

The film is set in a research hospital. We are introduced to her primary care providers:

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Dr. Jason Posner and Nurse Susie. The film also introduces a number of characters through flashbacks. In the flashback, we see her mentors,

And what is not real? We as the audience decide that. We suspend our disbelief when we go see movies or plays. When creators of these works decide to break the wall, it forces us to think about what is real. When we see a movie, we agree to ignore the fact that characters are just characters played by real people. Why is that? This is where movies like Wit punch us in the face with exhilaration. From Vivian telling us she is about to die in the last act to her telling us which scene we’re going to see next. This movie is absolutely brilliant. It hits morality concerns, death, living, intelligence, empathy, and overall surprises you