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Whole

Play trailer Whole 2003 55m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Filmmaker Melody Gilbert documents people who feel the need to remove a limb from their bodies.

Critics Reviews

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Film Threat Rated: 3/5 May 27, 2006 Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Rated: 3/5 May 27, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member How can you make a documentary about people who have their limbs removed in order to get their jollies this fucking dull and insincere. I guess it has something to do with feeding your subjects titular lines like "Does this make you feel...WHOLE now?" GTFO. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Cringe inducing documentary about men obsessed with becoming amputees, some of whom take the matter into their own hands. One of those rare films in which everyone comes across as sane, intelligent, and decent, yet is still deeply troubling. You'll never feel more normal than after finishing watching this since your own minor neuroses could never compare to wanting desperately to cut off your own leg. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Pretty interesting documentary, but not with a lot to say. I was captivated throughout, but at the conclusion i was where I started. Basically this could have been 5min long and had the same effect. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most fascinating documentaries I have ever seen. Kind of changed the way I looked at mental illness in general, not just as a closed off brotherhood of a few bad eggs, but bizzare patterns that occur across history and geography, and striking seemingly at random. "Whole" is a documentary about an extremely rare mental disorder, where men and women from different countries and economic backgrounds all have a tremendous desire to amputate one or more of their limbs. Some are faking(tying an arm behind their back just to get the feel), some have done it themselves, and others are still waiting for their insurance to clear so they can try to get it done in hospitals. The idea of cutting a part of yourself off, to me seems so anti-evolutionary and mal-adaptive, but the heart/mind wants what it wants. It's just strange to watch otherwise completely normal seeming people who just feel as if there lives would be improved, saved, even vindicated, if only they were a few limbs the lesser. Fascinating film about mental disorder, and what it means to be a "whole" and complete human bieng. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most fascinating documentaries I have ever seen. Kind of changed the way I looked at mental illness in general, not just as a closed off brotherhood of a few bad eggs, but bizzare patterns that occur across history and geography, and striking seemingly at random. "Whole" is a documentary about an extremely rare mental disorder, where men and women from different countries and economic backgrounds all have a tremendous desire to amputate one or more of their limbs. Some are faking(tying an arm behind their back just to get the feel), some have done it themselves, and others are still waiting for their insurance to clear so they can try to get it done in hospitals. The idea of cutting a part of yourself off, to me seems so anti-evolutionary and mal-adaptive, but the heart/mind wants what it wants. It's just strange to watch otherwise completely normal seeming people who just feel as if there lives would be improved, saved, even vindicated, if only they were a few limbs the lesser. Fascinating film about mental disorder, and what it means to be a "whole" and complete human bieng. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Whole

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Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Melody Gilbert documents people who feel the need to remove a limb from their bodies.
Director
Melody Gilbert
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Runtime
55m