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Empty Life, The (1963)

Discusses America's mental health problem of boredom and its probable underlying causes. Indicates that those not able to help themselves should seek psychiatric help.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Production Company: Oklahoma State Department of Health
Audio/Visual: sound, b&w
Keywords:

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: JayKay49 - - January 8, 2012
Subject: Good Look At The Early 60's
Nice depicition of life and people's glasses in the early 60's replete with beatnik music in the background, to set the tone for a psychiatric theme - so toni in that day.

Sam is not bored at all. He is what is known as "born horny." He knows what he likes, always has...and heck there are only so many hours in a day and you can't satisfy everybody; so use your time wisely and to YOUR advantage: buy a girl and satisfy your own needs. Nothing wrong there - long as he gets a dose of penicillin once in a while.

"Bored" is a euphemism here for something else..."defeated" may be more accurate. Depression is more endogenous. this guy has many reasons external to himself to explain the way he acts. Maybe he should hang around Sam more.

Reviewer: battra92 - - April 26, 2006
Subject: Still relavant today
This film is supposed to be about boredom but it is actually more like what we'd now call depression.

We are introduced to Hugh, a mouse of a man who is stuck working a job he hates and has a nagging wife to whom he is too afraid to conflict with. This depression then affects the rest of his life and he gets stuck.

I have to admit that I felt quite bad for Hugh. He doesn't have any real friends and can't do what he loves. If only he could tell his wife off at the end of this film, things might be better.

At the end of the film it says there was a part 2. I hope that this turns up on Prelinger today, should a print of the film exist somewhere. I really hope old Hugh turns his life around and it'd be nice to see that.

Reviewer: ERD - - April 13, 2006
Subject: A lot of good points
Well done documentary about the causes of boredom. Good script,direction, and well acted

Reviewer: citizine - - April 13, 2006
Subject: Holy &*(^)
!!!Not suggested for people who appose violence against turtles!!!

"...I think there's something wrong with yr'...thyroid...or something...."

(Hahahah, yesss implant a new condition for the masses to
concern themselves over...MWWAAHAHAHAHA, yesssss...yessssssssssssssssslllittthhherr.
...Convince them too that raising a family is less meaningful than being a secretary for me, bbwaaaaHHAHAHHAAa, yesslslslslslllliittrrrrrrrrrrr.)

Wow. Who knew boredom is an STD?
Or that drinking and prostitues aren't solutions for boredom?
Or that there's no satisfaction in racing cops?!
Slum Life, Headaches and White Shirts! Oh you cannot miss this.

plus +&*(@%# great soundtrack and a chubby baby

PS: Boredom bulls****, Loretta, that man's gon'na cheat on yr' stupid ass. Single engineers who are bored at work 'n like to play in the mud and erect phallic symbols. hollar.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - February 2, 2005
Subject: Prelude to Cannibal Holocaust?
Interesting tale about one sad sack of a guy and the 'depressing' life he leads, which naturally make everyone else around him miserable as well. He has a boring job, a boring wife, even his day to day existance is boring. Well, welcome to middle age pal! lol. He brings all this behavior to his wife and kid (who dismisses the baby turtle he brought to show his dad rather harshly lol). No real solutions are found, except for psychiatry, but even that's up in the air.. hooo boy.
On the upside, this is nicely acted, has a hep 60's score, and has some GREAT title and end card ideas (I particularly like the end).

Reviewer: MikeBrew77 - - January 29, 2005
Subject: Wow ...
The parallels to my life in this film are incredible. I too:

- Drink excessively because I have to do housework,
- Have extra-maritial affairs with loose women because my wife is stupid, and my grocery store is in tough competition with Joe's shop across the street,
- Had a blue-collar father who died pennielss, and wish to emulate him myself,
- Have to turn down exciting projects at work because the nagging wife with the perpetual headaches won't allow me to get my hands dirty,
- Play craps because I hate cops.

If only someone earlier had taught me to take out my boredom on wood (because - it can't fight back y'know) maybe things would have been different. Now I'm resigned to a drunken, debauchery filled life of boredom.

Great flick. Doesn't really tell you how to balance the needs of your neurotic wife, financial stability, and doing the work you really love which pays peanuts in comparison to your current, boring job (not to mention how to exorcise the deamons of your mother's twisted approach to rearing you) but I guess maybe that was just too much to ask from a 25 minute picture.

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - January 24, 2005
Subject: An Interesting Film About Boredom
This 50s film claims to be about boredom, but itÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs actually about the depression, angst, and neuroticism that lay just under the surface of many middle class families. Hugh Marriott is bored with life, but actually heÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs angry and depressed because his wife disapproves of him doing the kind of work he loves, and heÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs too much of a wimp to go against her wishes. HeÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs the main case study here, but other ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂboredÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ people in his neighborhood are mentioned as well, including a neighbor woman whoÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs an alcoholic, a local grocer whoÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs a sex addict, and a teen hot rodder whoÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs headed down the road towards being a grim traffic statistic. The film is bizarre and jaw-dropping in some moments, and quite realistic and sensitive in others, especially the portrayal of how HughÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂboredomÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ affects his son, leading to problems for the boy. The narration is relentless and deadpan, and the soundtrack music is wailing, angst-ridden jazz, giving the film a dark, heavy feel that resembles the leaden pain of depression. This combination of good and bad qualities results in a film that is hard to evaluate one way or the other, being both campy and weird, and realistic and sensitive by turns. At any rate, itÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs far from boring. Hope they eventually post its sequel: Boredom II: The Search for Zest (and if you think IÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm making that up, watch the movie).
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: *****.

Reviewer: Marysz - - September 23, 2004
Subject: Life Without Meaning
HughÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs an engineer who gave up working in the oilfields to live in town with his wife Loretta and son Kenny. But lately heÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs just more and more bored. In this film ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂboredomÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ really means ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂdepression.ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ We meet other ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂboredÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ people in HughÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs town. ThereÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Ann Galloway; sheÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs boredÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂthe monotony of houseworkÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ has driven her to drinking alone at home. Ann ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂdoesnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt know how to be a woman,ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ and misses her job. She finds that being a housewife is ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂempty and meaningless.ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Tough luck, Ann, this filmÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs about men and their problems.

Why is Hugh bored? Since this film was made in the fifties, itÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs full of Freudian clichÃÂÃÂÃÂés. HughÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs mother was too strict and criticized him whenever he tried to be spontaneous. And his wife Loretta, sheÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs another demanding woman who can never be satisfied. No wonder Hugh has a ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂpersonal hunger for a sense of self-worth.ÃÂÃÂÃÂàWhen HughÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs boss offers him a chance to go back to work in the oilfields, Hugh jumps at the chance but Loretta makes him turn it down. She doesnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt want to be stuck home alone in town with Kenny. LorettaÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs in a double bind. If she lets Hugh go back to the oilfields, it will look like she doesnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt care about her marriage. If she makes him stay, sheÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs a belittling woman ruining HughÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs life. Being a woman in this film is a no-win situation. No wonder their neighbor Ann Galloway drinks. Hugh goes to bed as Part I ends, filled with ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂbitter gall of conflicts unresolved and potentials unfulfilled.ÃÂÃÂÃÂàFor all Hugh's misery, he still has it better than poor Loretta.