THE FIFTH FLOOR
US, 1978, 93 minutes, Colour.
Diane Hull, Patti D’ Arbanville, Sharon Farrell, Mel Ferrer, Julie Adams, Bo Svenson.
Directed by Howard Avedis.
The Fifth Floor is a rather sensational look at a woman trapped in the psychiatric ward of a city hospital. Diane Hull is the victim. There is an interesting supporting cast which ranges from Patti D' Arbanville and Sharon Farrell as inmates to Mel Ferrer as the doctor in charge and Julie Adams as a sympathetic nurse. Villain of the piece is Bo Hopkins as a sadistic wardsman. The screenplay is rather scrappily written - especially the revelation about the heroine's being mistakenly poisoned. However, it gives a melodramatic glimpse of the horrors of a psychiatric institution for someone who should not be there.
1. Psychological thriller? Melodrama? Sensational potboiler?
2. The atmosphere of the city, the disco, apartments, the institution? Musical score and use of disco music?
3. The potential audience? The genre of asylum films? Audience expectations?
4. The portrait of Kelly: heroine, work in the disco, wanting to go through college? Relationship with Ronnie? Being poisoned? Her delusions? Into the institution, the fifth floor, 90 days? Lack of freedom? The treatment? The staff? The other patients? Individual therapy, group therapy? Group dramas? The individuals: Melanie and the sympathetic girl? The men in the ward? Carl and his taking her to the shower, his advances? Disbelief? Discussions with the nurse? With the doctor? Ronnie's coming to visit her and believing her sick? The visit to the zoo and her escape? Her being taken back? The party and the dancing, the tricking of Carl and exposing him? The shock treatment? Her leaving? The offhand information about the poison? A sketch of a character?
5. Carl and his leering, his work, the treatment, sexual advances, use of the women, relationship with the staff, his treatment of the students? His being stabbed?
6. Melanie and her memory, her problems, sad, treatment, hanging herself? The other girl and her expectations?
7. The men in the ward, relationship with Kelly, in therapy? The sinister patient and his finally killing Carl?
8. The nurse and the codes of behaviour and treatment? The doctor and the interviews? Their suspicions of Carl?
9. Authentic? Interest in psychiatric institutions? Sensationalism?
