In the film “Ghost Boy,” director Rodney Ascher delves into his fascination with horror and enigmatic occurrences, but this time with a heartrending twist of true events. The movie is adapted from the book of the same name by Martin Pistorius, a South African author, speaker, and survivor of miraculous locked-in syndrome.
The heart-wrenching account of Pistorius might be familiar to those who’ve read his autobiography, watched his TEDx Talk or tuned into the popular NPR series Invisibilia from 2015. However, for many people, including this reviewer, the events depicted in Ghost Boy offer a fresh and disturbing perspective that we hadn’t encountered before.
The story commences when Pistorius is 12 and residing a regular suburban life with his family in Johannesburg. He possesses a particular talent for electronics, but otherwise appears as an ordinary kind-hearted child. However, everything changes after he develops a sore throat, leading to a series of events that ultimately leaves him paralyzed and isolated from the world. He describes this sensation as if he were a character in a film who “awakens as a ghost without realizing they have passed away.” In support of this analogy, Ascher incorporates a scene from the movie Ghost.
The director skillfully recreates the intense feelings experienced by a young man as his life plunged into a prolonged downfall, using a blend of film clips, archived footage, and staged reenactments, similar to Lars Von Trier’s Dogville. To complement these visuals, interviews with the subject are conducted by Ascher in the present, utilizing a camera reminiscent of Errol Morris’ Interrotron system. However, since the subject is unable to speak, a voice like HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey speaks on his behalf.
Approximately half the movie focuses on the everyday torment that Pistorius experienced during his teenage years, as he spent most of his days in a state of unconsciousness within an institution where staff frequently neglected or abused him. Despite this, his father was always caring and devoted to his needs, while his mother, overwhelmed by the events, slipped into depression and became largely incapable of caring for her son.
Reading “Ghost Boy” feels like stepping directly into the mind of Oscar Pistorius as he recounts an ordeal, fortunately, unfamiliar to most of us. The author’s command over language, which he refers to as one of our strongest assets, is truly remarkable. He has a unique ability to encapsulate intricate thoughts and memories into relatable pop culture references, making the narrative all the more captivating from my perspective as a reader.
These experiences encompass the distressing sight of Barney & Friends playing endlessly in the clinic, which he refers to as “a hideous torment.” Additionally, listening to Whitney Houston’s song “Greatest Love of All” holds a significant resonance for someone experiencing such intense humiliation, with its lyrics like “no matter what they take from me/they can’t take away my dignity” carrying a profound message.
Witnessing a young Pistorius (played by Jett Harris during flashbacks), slouched helplessly with life continuing around him, isn’t enjoyable to watch and Ascher doesn’t intend it to be. However, despite the grim circumstances he finds himself in, there are faint signs of optimism emerging, particularly when a compassionate nurse starts suspecting that Pistorius may indeed possess consciousness.
Initially, I found myself immersed in the compelling narrative of “Ghost Boy,” where the author skillfully transitions the story into a journey of endurance and rebuilding. Ascher meticulously explores the strategies employed to help Pistorius emerge from his secluded existence, enabling him to communicate through pictorial cards and eventually computers. With each passing year, his self-expression flourishes, culminating in the profound insights and vivid imagery found in his book, mirroring his life at the time the film was produced.
Unlike other films by Ascher, Ghost Boy is unique in that all the events depicted are true, despite seeming surreal at times. Pistorius’ prolonged confinement within himself gives the impression, to the viewer, of him existing outside his body. He remarks, “The only person I spoke to was god,” when recalling his lowest points, where he was dismissed as an “imbecile” by trained professionals.
This version maintains the original’s meaning and flow while using simpler, more conversational language.
However, they are ultimately laughing at themselves, for he has transformed into a man who can now grapple with the depths of horrors that most people will never encounter or articulate so eloquently. In essence, he says, “I have emerged from an abyss,” carrying a hint of a smile.
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2025-03-08 08:55