THe Structural Analysis of Film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and the relationship with Fahr Syndrome Towards Meditation on Death (Morananusati)

Abstract

The world of films was created to act its duties in various dimensions. One of dimensions is to connect the world of films to the real world. Humans can gain lessons learned from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a film that won three Oscar awards. This film reflects the story of realizing and appreciating the value of life, birth, aging, pain, and death, the changes from aging to infancy, and the possibility to reach the death. For the narration of this film, main characters, theme, and conflict were designed based on religious teachings such as belief and faith in God, love without desire to possess, detachment,  understanding of the truth of this world, as shown in the sentence “ We all die in diaper”. Benjamin Button, the main character was sick with Progeria, making him looked like an old person.

From the world of film to the real world, some patients are noticed to have similar symptoms to Benjamin Button’s symptom.  Information about this disease could be found and searched from various sources including Thai sources. However, there is a disease with same symptom affecting human brain. It is less known. Such disease is Fahr Syndrome. No knowledge about the disease is considered as a fear. Accepting the reality is only one thing. Living life in the same way as in theme of the film, appreciation of life, and confrontation with the truth are important to be considered. Finally, all humans must be separated and die. All will die, regardless of health status or age.  Humans shall hold Morananusati (meditation on death) towards the death.