Ways of Representing Mental Illnesses in Two Post-War Documentaries: Let There Be Light (1946) and Shades of Gray (1948)

Abstract

During World War II, mental illnesses suffered by soldiers exposed to combat skyrocketed. The US authorities sought to respond to this reality, deploying an extensive psychiatric care program, and some documentaries reported on this. Let There Be Light (John Huston, 1946) was one of them; but its depiction of sick soldiers met with censure by the authorities, who banned its reproduction. In response, they apparently authorized the production of another documentary: Shades of Gray (Joseph Henabery, 1948). This study analyzes the narrative form of the two films, through their representation of soldiers suffering from mental illnesses, and establishes similarities and differences, to explore how they end up conveying a significantly different message, despite their similar argumentation.