Shades of Gray
Shades of Gray is a short film from 1948 released on 16mm. It is held in the Prelinger Archives collection.
Portrays various mental disorders suffered by soldiers during training and combat and their treatment.
01:00:38:19 Soldier in dirty uniform, with scruffy face still wearing helmet from battle seated across table from clean army officer asking about how he feels; soldiers is trembling in shock; CU soldier shaking in terror says �all mixed up in my head, I sort of lost control.� Clean cut soldier gives trembling soldier a cigarette and lights it for him; man tries to comfort the soldier in shock.
01:01:57:12 VS Army psychiatrist in uniform interviews anxious soldier in combat helmet; soldier in helmet describes his shaken anxious state after a near death experience; army psychiatrist reassure the frightened shaken soldier.
01:04:13:14 Army mess line in the field outdoors; soldiers line up for food.
01:04:19:16 Army soldiers relaxing in barracks tent; group of men play cards; one man writes a litter on a notepad.
01:05:28:12 Stock footage of soldiers in basic training; exercising and combat training.
01:06:10:14 VS Scruffy soldier in dirty uniform sits down for interview with army psychiatrist; dirty weathered soldier looks nervous and afraid whispers �I can�t stand to see people killed�; psychiatrist repeatedly tells soldier to speak up; soldier says he can�t stand the sight of dead people; CU doctor writes note where words �exhaustion� and �evacuation� appear prominently.
01:09:00:09 Skinny soldier in helmet with scruffy face interviewed by army psychiatrist; man says after 34 months in the army the shelling has begun to get to him, that he broke down last time there was shelling.
01:11:37:14 Psychiatrist�s hand writes with pencil on lined paper notes about soldier�s case history �Arrived U.S. 8 yrs. old Mother living Father dec. Mother nervous, excited �Blows Top��. Soldier describes to army psychiatrist after 30 months in army he can�t take being under fire any longer.
01:13:37:08 Soldier with amnesia is lied down on bunk in army tent; doctor takes man�s blood pressure; doctor pulls out large syringe, gives soldier injection, soldier counts slowly as sedative is injected. Audio track with battle sounds and gun fire, soldier in his sleep relives traumatic battle scene; psychiatrists asks man question, man answers in his sleep, tossing and turning.
01:19:17:21 VS WWII combat stock footage, word �Combat� superimposed over top of frame; explosions, CU soldier in bunker, red cross ambulances picking up soldiers.
01:20:49:11 Large steamer in the Atlantic sailing toward New York City; skyline in background; steamship full of soldiers on deck pulls past statue of liberty; downtown Manhattan skyline.
01:22:36:07 Army doctor ties elastic band around shirtless man�s army lying in hospital bed; nurse hands doctor a large syringe; doctor gives man injection; doctor tells man to get out of bed and walk; patient slowly gets up; CU man�s feet slowly reach floor; man takes first steps with look of surprise, and limps over to the ward man standing in doorway; doctor tells man to turn around and return to him.
01:24:17:26 Army psychiatrist hypnotizing patient, patient with head down asleep answers doctors questions; man begins to shake and panic describing traumatic battle scene; doctor tells man when he awakes he will no longer be afraid but will remember everything that happened; doctor awakens patient who is cured.
01:27:41:04 CU hand presses button on electroshock therapy mechanism; electrodes removed from man in hospital bed and he is taken away by doctors in white gowns.
01:27:55:04 VS continuous tub treatment, with patient strapped into tub of water with towel on forehead.
01:28:11:16 Patient receives wet pack treatment; patient is wrapped in sheets and blanket.
01:28:25:23 Soldiers in group therapy; psychiatrist addresses soldiers; camera pans over audience of attentive soldiers.
01:30:10:17 Army patients in psychiatric hospital involved in activities; man paints; soldiers work in metal workshop and woodshop; exercising in gym, playing basketball, wrestling, boxing, handball, acrobatics, baseball.
01:32:09:02 Army psychiatrist opens notes and reads them into recorder with strange horn-shaped microphone.
01:32:53:00 Line drawing of soldiers in line, word �Morale� appears on top of frame and beams of light emanate from �morale� down to soldiers.
01:32:57:11 Soldier in bunker wearing helmet in panic state.
01:33:25:13 VS stock footage of army soldiers marching; cut to busy civilian street with various men at work superimposed over shot: man in protective mask welding, engineer soldering mechanical device, man in workshop working with drill, businessman on phone, chemist pours contents of test tube into a beaker, diamond dealer looks at diamond through magnifying glass pressed up against his eye; cuts to silhouette of statue of liberty when torch turns on.| Shades of Gray | |
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| Produced by | U.S. Army |
Production company | U.S. Army |
| Distributed by | U.S. Army |
Release date | 1948 |
Running time | 66:00 |
| Language | English |
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