Inside Film

Films about self-isolation – can they help us with coronavirus?

Those on their own might take inspiration from the more insightful dramas about individuals or families trying to survive in adverse circumstances, says Geoffrey Macnab

Thursday 19 March 2020 13:52 GMT
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Matt Damon as a lone astronaut in ‘The Martian’ could be inspiration for those self-isolating
Matt Damon as a lone astronaut in ‘The Martian’ could be inspiration for those self-isolating

When characters self-isolate in movies, it is almost always a prelude to disaster, horror, hunger, misfortune or madness. They head into caves or cabins or remote corners of country houses. They lock themselves away in attics, basements and bunkers. The longer they hide from society, the more precarious their situation becomes. Whatever they are trying to avoid in the outside world begins to attack them from within.

Current government advice about people in self-isolation because of coronavirus suggests we should all “reconnect with a hobby or learn a new skill through an online course”. What we probably shouldn’t do is watch too many of the films exploring the perils of extreme solitude. Whether in The Shining, Room, A Quiet Place or The Gold Rush, when individuals or families spend too much time indoors and on their own, the consequences are usually dire.

One of the stranger, more esoteric movies about self-isolation is Chris Newby’s Anchoress (1993). Set in the 14th century, this is loosely based on the true story of Christine, the “Anchoress of Shere”, a young peasant obsessed with the Virgin Mary. Identified as a holy woman, Christine (Natalie Morse) agrees to be incarcerated in a small, dank cell within the walls of her local church. Under the persuasion of the manipulative local priest (a youthful Christopher Eccleston), she vows herself to a life of “continence and perpetual chastity”. The film, although beautifully shot in black and white, is just as claustrophobic an experience to sit through as you might expect. It’s as much about the misogyny and corruption of medieval society as about the religious ecstasy of its heroine. At first, Christine yearns to be locked away but the longer her isolation lasts, the more desperate and unhinged she becomes.

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