This is a very sad and depressing film. There is no hope and no cure for these poor people. It is unlikely that if they had been in a private institution, the there would have been much improvement if any at all. The medical procedures, though medieval in appearance, were the best that could be offered at that time. I hope the field of psychiatric care has improved since then. I hope I never end up in a place like that.

The only "progress" we have made has been to release these people into the community. Deinstitutionalization had its roots in patient rights but sadly it really amounted to little more than just releasing these folks into the community so they would become homeless. Just because they're not in a ward does not mean these people don't suffer from severe mental illness.

What a sad state.

very powerful. the patents had a bleak life with in the walls that place but as awful as it seems at least those patents weren't stuck living on the streets with no one caring about them.

The institution appears very dim and depressing; no wonder the patients wanted to kill themselves. I noticed the staff was not armed which implied that the patient were reasonably compliant and not a significant threat.

I cant believe this is real.

This is a documentary made in 1967 called Titicut Folies. It offers an unedited inside view of one of America's biggest mental health asylums in Bridgewater, MA. This is sometimes labeled as a horror movie, which is a shame. There are plenty of greusome practices in evidence here, but I kind of still have the sense that many of the players were still doing their best with what was known at the time (very little.) My uncle David was schizophrenic and could have easily wound up in a place like this if my grandparents hadn't been so active, patient, and loving. Titicus Follies is also the only movie ever be banned by the US government for reasons other than obscenity or national security. It was released to the public again in 1991. It's long, and has no narrative or soundtrack, so it's not for everyone. But I know a couple of you will like it.