MOZART AND THE WHALE

US, 2005, 97 minutes, Colour.
Josh Hartnett, Radha Mitchell, Gary Cole, Sheila Kelley, John Carroll Lynch, Nate Mooney, Rusty Schwimmer, Robert Wisdom.
Directed by Petter Naess.

Mozart and the Whale is not a story about the composer nor a film about the deep sea and its inhabitants. Rather, these are the ways in which the two central characters dress for an excursion to a social and walking around the city, Isabelle dressed as Mozart, Donald with a whale costume.

What is significant is that this is a film about people with Aspergers. The condition has been recognised, though questioned, and explorations of its link with autism have been of considerable attention. There have been a number of films illustrating autism and Aspergers, like Rain Man as well as Adam with Hugh Dancy. Of particular interest is the film biography of the autistic but highly achieving, Temple Grandin.

Josh Hartnett plays Donald, who has genius capacities with numbers, but behaves awkwardly while knowing something about his condition. Radha Mitchell plays Isabelle, a very straightforward young, blunt in her expression, also conscious of her condition with the possibility of controlling how she acts. A number of character actors portray men and women in an institution, giving the audience the opportunity to see variations on autistic themes and the way that these characters interact with each other.

Donald is attracted to Isabelle, but she seems to be rather more freethinking, enjoying the outings with Donald, but wary of his intentions of marriage. After distancing herself from Donald, she realises her limitations, the dependence on him, an emotional film which ends with a very happy scene, Donald and Isabelle celebrating their wedding with all their friends from the centre at the table.

1. The title, the references to Donald and Isabelle their costumes? The images?

2. An American story, universal? Autism? Aspergers Syndrome? Audience awareness, understanding, acceptance?

3. The American city, the taxi, the street, the Centre for the group, inside and outside? Identifying with the characters? Their issues? The musical score?

4. The introduction to Donald, in the taxi, talking incessantly, statistics, the visualising of his mind-images and the city grid for taxis? His abilities with numbers and mathematics? The crash, the flowers, the passengers, walking away?

5. Donald, his self-image, knowing himself, maths? The birds? His care? Talking, awkward? Yet his leadership in the centre? The separation of men and women, going outside, his telling his story, family background, his growing up, his awareness of his condition?

6. The other members of the Centre, the happy woman and her genial remarks? The hard woman and her blunt comments? The fey young woman? Roger and his talking with Donald? The black inmate? Gregory, his considering himself an author, his attraction to Isabelle, asking Donald to be his go-between? Isabelle and her arriving, impact on the group?

7. Isabelle, her Aspergers’ behaviour, blunt, blurting things out, her personality, the background of her family, growing up? Meeting Donald, the talk, the bond, going out?

8. Donald, his apartment, going out, hesitations, the costume of the whale, his experience in town? His love for Isabelle, reserved, wanting to marry her?

9. Isabelle avoiding Donald, the break? The mixed messages? In the institution? His 17 calls, her waiting to him? Meeting again, the dependence? Declarations of love?

10. The celebratory meal, everyone present, the joy, the marriage?

11. The film offering insight into Aspergers by explanations, via feelings and emotions, by empathy with the story?