A Movie Analysis of Stonehearst Asylum

By: Kristine Vincent V. Rosales

Jade Alfe Dimayuga

As a final requirement of

21st Century Literature of the Philippines

And the World

Submitted to:

Mrs. Leizel D. Tenorio

Teacher II

Grade 11 HUMSS- HOPE

S.Y. 18-19
 Title: Stonehearst Asylum

I. Characters and Roles

 Eliza Graves – one of the patient of the real Dr. Newgate, she has disorder and she became the love of

Dr. Newgate (impostor), who loves playing piano

 Dr. Lamb / Silas Lamb – one of the lunatics and doing unorthodox method of treatment; who killed

his soldier patients during the war

 Edward Newgate – the man who pretends to complete his residency at the Stonehearst Asylum; the

man who fell in love with Eliza

 Dr. Salt – the real superintendent of the Stonehearst Asylum; one of the prisoner in the boiler room

 Mr.Mickey Finn – the guy who opens the gate for Dr. Newgate when he reached the Asylum; one of

the colleague of Dr. Lamb

 Mrs. Pike – also one of the prisoner in the boiler room and soon she became the lady who’s in charge

of the Stonehearst Asylum

 Millie – the nurse and the girl who considered as a sibling to Eliza

 Arthur Tims / ogre – the man who frightened at first to Dr. Newgate but later on he became meek to

him

 Charles Graves - the husband of Eliza Graves

 The Alienist – the doctor who’s in charge to take care of his patients Mrs. Graves and Dr. Newgate

II. Setting

 Oxford University, 1899

 Stonehearst Asylum

 In the forest
  Santa Cristina Asylum, Tuscany Italy

III. Summary

 One Christmas season, there is a doctor from Oxford University who went to Stonehearst Asylum for

the reason of completing his training as an alienist who’s specializing in asylum medicine. When he

reached the place a guy named Mr. Finn with his goons appeared on the gate way then after a several

chitchats they let him entered the gate through the asylum. After arriving Dr. Silas Lamb gave him a

tour to meet and see the patients and Newgate is very surprised by Lamb’s unorthodox methods. Until

he saw Eliza Graves playing a piano while Dr Silas is telling him the background of Eliza. Then within

that night when the dinner is happening he is entertained by the questions of the people there to know

more about him and when he is about to drink the wine from Finn, Eliza suddenly kicked him in the

knee so that he cannot drink it. In the kitchen, Eliza told Edward that he is not belong in the asylum and

she also told him to leave immediately in that place.

Upon exploring the asylum, he discovered the boiler room and the staff prisoned there. He talked to

Mr. Salt, the superintended of the asylum and also to Mrs. Pike. They revealed and explain the truth to

Newgate and they tell him what he’s going to do. As the days go by he let the staff from the boiler room

fed and drink medicines, in short he helped them to live a little. Mr. Salt also warned Newgate about Dr.

Lamb’s murderous madman tendencies. While planning on what he’s going to do, he is persuading

Eliza to leave with him but still she’s insisting. Suddenly Newgate discovered all of Lamb’s unorthodox

practices, such as electric shock therapy.

When everyone is busy on preparing to welcome 1990, Newgate did his plan to end all of those

things. He found out the reason why Lamb’s attitude is like that. When Lamb knew that Newgate is a

traitor he commanded to give him the electric shock treatment. When Silas is ready to do the treatment,

Newgate please him to take the picture inside his vest then when Silas took a look at it, all of his

memories from the past shut him out. Then, Eliza helped him to untie the straps on him. At last, Charles

Graves and the real Dr. Edward Newgate came into the asylum to discharge his wife Eliza but Eliza is

now gone with that young man called Dr. Edward Newgate and they are in Tuscany, Italy with their

new identity as Mr and Mrs. Lamb.

IV. Lesson/Moral

 The lesson I gained from the movie is first, every human being needs to be treated fair and with care.

Even though a person has a disorder we should give him/her the right or proper way of treatment

because no matter what happens they are all human. We should think for the best and we don’t need to

be a sadistic one because all of the living creatures has feelings and emotions. Secondly, no matter how

disastrous person are we, there’s always a second chance and that is not the end of us. Even death is not

a solution for it. Last is no matter what happen, love is alive, love is with us in good times nor in bad

times.

V. Critique/Analysis

a. Approach/Criticism

 Reader-response criticism

While watching “Stonehearst Asylum” which is directed by Brad Anderson at first I felt so bored

because I can’t get the point of the woman in the university, I thought she was a rape victim but as

the movie goes on it gives me interest because of the weird asylum. In the scene of the arrival of Dr.

Newgate I immediately noticed the weirdness of Mickey Finn so it made me think what’s wrong

with this man, is he a murderer? Because he and his goons has their guns and I really see him as a

drunk man. Until in the scene when Newgate finally met Dr. Silas and Eliza Graves, I thought he

will probably just take his residency at the asylum but it is made me so excited when he finally

knew that there is something wrong in the place till he found out the boiler room. That scene made

me realize that Oh! Silas is not the real superintendent! Now I know, thanks to the story and

flashbacks of Dr. Salt. After that it suspense me in the part of Dr. Newgate is getting information’s

about Silas and planning on how is he going to rescue the staffs from the boiler room. Additional for

it is when he tried to put some antidote to the drink of the lunatics then he got caught by Finn. And

the scene that made my heart stop is the scene when Newgate was going to electrified by Silas then

he told Silas to take a look on the picture in his vest then suddenly, Silas had his break down then all
 of the event from his dreadful past flashed back in his mind. I was like “Ahh! that’s why”. I

eventually understand the plot twist. I felt so glad and amazed when Newgate finally comfort Silas

and said “It’s over Silas”, it makes my heart melt because instead of making Silas dead or suffered

Newgate healed him. In the end, I found the truth by the arrival of Eliza’s husband Charles and the

real Dr. Newgate but in the other corner I also felt the feeling of being in love of the characters

because they just made their own fantasy and their own new life.

This movie made me think and realized that all humans deserves humanity and dignity. In spite

of all our conditions, whether an insane or not everyone deserve to be respected. I now understand

what really love is, it’s not about having someone special but having a pure heart and intention that

couldn’t harm everyone.

b. Analysis Proper

 Stonehearst Asylum is a great movie to watch. It’s a kind of movie which has mysterious plot

twist and unexpected flashbacks. Maybe at first I found it boring but in the middle part of the

movie I’m pretty sure that it can caught your interest as well as your attention because of its

storyline. As I’ve watched this movie I can relate my own society to the message/story that it

wants to portray. The effects and the sounds are also a factor to make this a suspense and

thrilling movie. And it doesn’t mean that when you watched it you are also insane, just try to

look at the deeper part of it to know the real essence of the movie. It also gave me realizations

and understanding within the society I lived. It’s great and fun to watch, I recommend this

movie to all and I rate this 4.0