As a firm advocate of mental health, I cannot possibly let myself add to this movie's fortune.
WARNING: Certain images in this article may be disturbing to some readers.
The short and not so sweet concept of the movie.
Background on this forest
The forest, properly known as Aokigahara, is known to be the most popular site for suicide in the country of Japan, and the second most popular site for suicide in the entire world. The forest is associated with ancient Japanese mythology, and it is said to be a "no man's land." It is known to be haunted by Yūrei (Japanese ghosts), monsters, and goblins. Locals claim it is haunted by the uneasy souls that have taken their lives. People from all around the world buy one-way tickets to Japan to end their lives. Many of times, cut up credit cards and family photos are found near the bodies that are discovered post mortem. The two most common ways people take their lives are drug overdosing and hanging. The sign above states, "Life is a precious gift from your parents. Please think of your parents, siblings, and children. Please do not worry on your own, talk to us," with a phone number of a help line at the bottom.
The mental health stigma in Japan
The mental health stigma in Japan is a serious problem. Although the United States has their own share of problems surrounding mental health, people are working very hard to remove the stigma. In Japan, the stigma surrounding mental health is alive, and unfortunately well. Many Japanese people see disorders such as depression, psychosis, or schizophrenia as being character flaws of a person, and not something biological.
Several surveys were done to get a true feel of what the stigma is really like in Japan. Surprisingly enough, 61% of people would not employ someone if they knew they had a diagnosed mental illness. The knowledge of mental illnesses is very low in Japan. Although the country has their fair share of psychologists and psychiatrists; the general public seems to lack common knowledge about depression and mental illness. Japan is ranked number seventeen in the world for a number of suicides per one hundred thousand people. To put things in perspective, the US is number fifty.
Why this movie is a NO GO
This movie sucks because the writers and directors of this film are taking a horrible stance on suicide, and the forest in general. Suicide is not something that should be taken lightly, under any circumstance. I personally despise seeing movie previews that have suicide as a topic or even a small part. The most common one I have seen is suicide by hanging in horror movies. With such an epidemic in our world today, I would hope that movies would choose to limit their displays of suicide or suicidal acts. If they have a burning desire to show these things in their movies, I would hope that these writers, directors, and producers that choose to display suicide would make it a point to explain why it is a serious thing, and what can be done to help people who are considering suicide.
“The Forest” opens in theaters in the United States on January 8. I won't be going, and I hope after reading this article you won't either.
If you are worried that you or someone you know may be at risk for suicide, please call your local authorities (911), contact a mental health professional, or call to speak to someone at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433).
