Disarmed and dangerous? Doctors warn of gory true story

Feb 10, 2011, 1:47 GMT

Sydney - Australian doctors warned cinema-goers Thursday that Oscar-nominated dismemberment film 127 Hours could have them fainting in the aisles.

The film is a recreation of the ordeal of Aron Ralson, the US climber forced to hack off an arm that was trapped under a boulder.

Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital has treated three people this week for fainting, vomiting and epilepsy-like seizures induced by the gory scenes in 127 Hours.

'If the body gets this reaction it can shut down, causing the person to faint,' emergency department head Gordian Fulde told The Daily Telegraph. 'When they start to lose blood and oxygen from the brain, that's when it can go to the next phase, and they can have a fit.'

Rowan Virbickas spent five hours in St Vincent's after losing consciousness during the dismemberment scene.

'They thought I was having a seizure,' the 27-year-old said. 'When I came to, I remembered about 30 seconds of the footage.'

Sydney cinemas were forewarned about fainting in the audience - and should have been forearmed.

Director Danny Boyle admitted unfortunate episodes of audience participation during early screenings at film festivals in North America.

Two people collapsed at the Telluride Film Festival, three at the Toronto International Film Festival and one at the Mill Valley Film Festival.

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