It appears that biographical motion pictures, more frequently known as biopics, have been surging in popularity in recent years, with a large catalogue of films and television series depicting public or historical figures including but not limited to pop stars like Elvis (Elvis, 2022) and Elton John (Rocketman, 2019) to felons including Elizabeth Holmes (The Dropout, 2022) and Anna Delvey (Inventing Anna, 2022) popping up on our various screens.
Many public figures, whether dead or living, have been subjected to the biopic treatment as creators of biopics hope to paint a more personal picture of the successes and struggles of their subjects. Events that the public may have only seen the media-facing version of are now told through a medium that dwells on the celebrity’s emotions, thoughts and interactions with associates. Take for example the miniseries The Dropout, which gave viewers an insight into the perspective of Elizabeth Holmes as it dramatised the rise and fall of her controversial health technology company, Theranos.
Naturally, with biopics focusing on all kinds of big names regardless of fame or infamy, casual viewers and critics alike have expressed concerns about the ethics of biopics. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) starring Zac Efron as the serial killer, Ted Bundy faced accusations of romanticising Bundy and glorifying his kidnappings, rapes and murders. In similar fashion, Pam and Tommy (2022) which focused on the turbulent relationship between Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee received condemnation after it emerged that showrunners did not obtain consent from Anderson, who has said that the show forced her to relive the trauma of the theft and distribution of her private sexual videos.
Concurrently, ethical consumerism is on the rise, in which people support products and services that align with their values, such as environmentalism and labour rights. This practice can extend to boycotting media that they find objectionable and only consuming ethically- made products of the film industry, in which the dignity and privacy of the portrayed figures and associated individuals has been taken into account.
As such, a filmmaker will have to walk the delicate line of exercising their creative licence to create an appealing narrative while maintaining a code of ethics. Though it is difficult to explicitly classify every biopic as ethical or unethical, as well as unsuitable, given the nuances of each dramatized narrative, there are certainly guidelines that filmmakers and viewers can look out for.
For starters, filmmakers should aim to create an accurate narrative as far as possible. Some filmmakers may sensationalise plot lines or omit seemingly insignificant details during production. This is understandable as they attempt to condense a narrative into a highly marketable product that can satisfy viewers within a few hours. However, this may inadvertently harm the image of the individual portrayed when their character and actions are not truthfully represented. For instance, mathematician John Nash objected to his portrayal in A Beautiful Mind (2001), in which he supposedly recovered from schizophrenia in 1994 due to medication; while in reality he had long since stopped taking medication due to it blunting his intellect. Commentators have rightly pointed out that this fabrication was an underhanded method to capitalize on Nash’s life story to promote the use of anti-psychotic medication to treat mental disorders. Even if these individuals speak out attempting to set the record straight, it may be too little, too late, with the damage to their reputation set in stone.
Sometimes, what is the truth may be difficult to determine. Details may be murky due to factors including a lack of evidence, conflicting accounts, and unreliable witnesses. In such cases, filmmakers could choose to tell the version of events they find most plausible. This was the route taken by the creators behind Sid and Nancy (1986) in depicting Nancy Spungen’s mysterious murder. Theories about the identity of the killer have ranged from a drug dealer, a stand-up comic and Sid Vicious. Given that Sid Vicious was considered to be the prime suspect who was arrested and charged with murder, the film likely chose to go with the official narrative by showing Sid stabbing and killing Nancy in a drug-fuelled frenzy. On the other hand, Amelia (2009) intentionally left the truth of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance an open question, simply highlighting the extensive search efforts that ended in vain. Nonetheless, both approaches are sound ones for filmmakers to exercise their creative leeway within responsible means.
Furthermore, creators should try to involve the subject in the production. It could be a valuable opportunity to empower the subject by telling their story with their creative input. While it has now been shelved as the singer prepares for her world tour, the biopic of Madonna was to have the star’s direct involvement as the film director. Her critical role behind the camera would be integral in ensuring that her decades in the spotlight and journey as an artist would not be misrepresented, but told instead on her own terms. Similarly, the family of Emmett Till — an African American teenager who was brutally murdered for reportedly flirting with a white woman in 1955 — has spoken of the importance of Till (2022) in raising awareness of this tragedy and faithfully depicting the long struggle by his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley to seek justice for her son as well as racial justice for African-Americans.
Additionally, giving the public figure or their surviving family members a degree of creative input allows for an understanding to be reached on possible topics that they may wish to keep private and not revealed to the public. Respecting the individual’s and/or their family’s boundaries goes a long way in minimising conflict while leaving them more open to assisting with film production in clearing up any of the previously mentioned historical inaccuracies as well as providing additional perspectives for nuance.
Yet this practice may not always be adhered to. Scriptwriters can begin production as long as they obtain the rights to a story – although their subjects may not own the rights to the story - meaning that production can and has occurred without the consent and creative input of their subjects. Hulu was able to film Pam and Tommy without Anderson’s permission or cooperation as it had obtained the rights to a 2014 Rolling Stone article by a reporter about the series of events which occurred nearly 20 years earlier in the 1990s. Similarly, despite Fred Astaire’s wishes to not be depicted on film, to the extent of allegedly including it as a clause in his will, a feature biopic portraying his life was announced in 2021. While such films are legally in the clear (bar the individuals portrayed or their estates deciding to sue for defamation), it is certain that they are morally questionable in going against the decisions of the individuals they portray.
Another obstacle that may prevent films from getting the mark of approval is when their focus is on individuals that exist on the morally grey to evil scale. To illustrate, even though filmmakers can be free to tell such narratives without the input of a criminal portrayed in a true-crime film due to the events portrayed being public record, they may face objections from victims and their families. This was the reason for the backlash to the Dahmer biopic, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022). The series was criticised for failing to consult the families of victims, causing distress as old wounds were reopened without warning when they found the deceased victims reduced to plot devices, due to the series focusing extensively on the acts of Dahmer rather than humanising the victims by focusing on their stories. Hence, when filmmakers choose to dramatize the lives of the notorious, care should also be taken to minimise the trauma re-inflicted on victims and their families by seeking their input, be it to increase their focus on the perspectives of victims or to donate a portion of profits to victims’ families.
Biopics are complex and nuanced, requiring filmmakers to tread lightly in balancing ethical concerns while creating an impactful piece of media. While there are numerous ways to go about creating ethical biopics, what matters is that filmmakers must make concerted attempts to responsibly wield their creative licence and avoid the pitfalls of exploiting their subjects in the name of profit.
Written by: Camille Goh Shuen Ying (22S7E)
Edited by: Charlize Ling Xuan Ting (22S77), Khoo Kia Song Kendrick (22A14)
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