Changes

In one of the opening scenes of the movie the <i>The Aviator</i>, a young Hughes is being bathed by his mother, and she is cautioning him of the many dangers that he faced in the world and warning him especially against dirt. Hughes is portrayed as a rather eccentric character even in his heyday as an aviator and Hollywood mogul. The director and the script indicated movie shows that Hughes eccentric behavior was a result of his upbringing and his growing mental instability that is apparent by evident at the end of the movie. One theory is that Hughes problems were a result of syphilis, which was a sexually transmitted disease, and which often led to serous serious mental health issues. Many have rejected , but this theoryis a less plausible explanation.  It does seem that Hughes did have OCD and was obsessed with dirt and cleanliness. This is shown very well when some government agents raided his Hollywood home and Hughes is panicked by the idea that they are bringing germs into his home. His OCD became worse as it was untreated, and he also became dependent on painkillers after his various crashes. Scorsese’s movie does represent the variety of mental health issues that Hughes experienced but not their complex origins and causes. The 2004 motion picture was heavily criticized for not referencing the long physical and mental decline of Hughes. In later life, he became a recluse in Las Vega Vegas and lived in appalling conditions, and he only had his hair, and nails cut once a year .<ref> Meneghetti, Michael. "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate: The Aviator as History." <i>Canadian Journal of Film Studies </i> 20, no. 1 (2011): 2-19 </ref>. The man who was one of the richest men in America became petrified of germs. However, Scorsese does refer to Hughes' future mental deterioration in the final scene when the Texan has a breakdown after seeing two men in germ-suits.