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With a lucid analyst's eye, director David Cronenberg turns his steady gaze toward a trio of brilliant people in the early, and somehow defining, years of the 20th century. In Zurich, a young psychoanalyst named Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) takes on an intellectually gifted but deeply neurotic young woman, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), as a patient. Through the course of a lengthy analysis, their relationship takes a turn for intimacy, despite professional policy against such encounters. Meanwhile, Jung is entwined in another important relationship, with psychoanalysis founder Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), whose enthusiasm about Jung being the golden boy of the science will eventually dim. What's bracing in Cronenberg's keen reading of this situation, based on Christopher Hampton's script, is that no aspect of this situation is more important than any other; the sexual tumbling between Jung and Spielrein might provide a few hotsy moments, but the careful lines traced between Freud's pragmatic wisdom and Jung's idealistic ventures into the mystic are equally significant. The tenor of the acting is similarly well judged; Fassbender and Mortensen are finely drawn, while Knightley's explosions are necessary for uncomfortable contrast. (Vincent Cassel contributes a few memorable scenes as the rule-breaking Otto Gross, a talented but unbalanced analyst himself.) If you go to movies to turn your brain off, go somewhere else; there are enough ideas loose in this superb film to keep you up at night, in a good way. --Robert Horton
Product Description
Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender star in director David Cronenberg's adaptation of Christopher Hampton's play detailing the deteriorating relationship between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. The year is 1904. Carl Jung (Fassbender), a disciple of Sigmund Freud (Mortensen), is using Freudian techniques to treat Russian-Jewish psychiatric patient Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley) at Burgh”lzli Mental Hospital. But the deeper Jung's relationship with Spielrein grows, the further the burgeoning psychiatrist and his highly respected mentor drift apart. As Jung struggles to help his patient overcome some pressing paternal issues, disturbed patient Otto Gross (Vincent Cassel) sets out to test the boundaries of the doctor's professional resolve.
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172 of 195 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Putting aside some minor historical and biographical inaccuracies, "A Dangerous Method" is a marvelous film, with a bravura performance by Keira Knightly. The focus of the film is the relationship between two of the great founders of modern psychological theory, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.
Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian Jew who developed the Psychoanalytic method as a result of his work in neurology and his experiments with Mesmerism (hypnosis). He published the first of many books in 1899 and this attracted the attention of dozens of intellectuals, including Carl Jung (1875-1961), a Swiss Psychiatrist.
Jung approached Freud in 1906 and their relationship lasted for approximately 7 years.
When they met, Freud was 50 and Jung was 31. Freud was a Jew and Jung was a Swiss Reformed Evangelical. Freud was 5'7", Jung was 6'1". Jung's experience was largely based in institutions and Freud was primarily a private physician. Freud lived comfortably but was never well off. Jung had been poor as a child but married one of the wealthiest women in Switzerland. Freud was known for being faithful to his wife and Jung was well known for his affairs, one of which is the focus of the film.
Keira Knightly plays Sabrina Spielrein (1885-1942), a former patient of Jung with whom he had an affair. Knightgly is the Natalie Portman look-alike who played the decoy Queen in Star Wars (1999). From this humble beginning she went on to earn an Oscar and a Golden Globe nomination for "Pride and Prejudice" (2005) and has been in such box office hits as the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and "King Arthur" (2004). As the conflicted and vulnerable Russian Jewess, this is by far her best performance and one of the best performances by anyone.
Viggo Mortensen plays the cigar smoking Freud (who ultimately developed cancer of the jaw). Mortensen is best known for his "Lord of the Rings" films as well as some stunning work in films like his Oscar nominated role in "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "A History of Violence" (2005). His work in this film earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He is marvelously understated.
Michael Fassbender plays Jung. Fassbender is best known for his work in "Inglorious Bastards" (2009) and his Golden Globe nominated "Shame" (2011). He does a good job acting, but he lacks the stature of Jung who towered over (at 6'1") his contempories.
David Cronenberg directs. Cronenberg is known as the "Baron of Blood" for films such as "Scanners" (1981), "Videodrone" (1983), "The Dead Zone" (1983) and "The Fly" (1986). He worked with Mortensen on "A History of Violence" (2005) and "Eastern Promises" (2007).
The beautiful on location photography is courtesy of Peter Suschitzky who is a long time collaborator with Cronenberg and who also has to his credit films as diverse as "Valentino" (1977), "Mars Attack" and "The Man in the Iron Mask". The excellent musical score is from Howard Shore whose most familiar work is "Lord of the Rings" for which he won 2 Oscars and 3 ASCAPs. and who also gave us memorable work in "Big", "Silence of the Lambs", "Philadelphia", and "Se7en".
It's hard to make a compelling movie about such an academic topic as the differences in emphasis between Freud and Jung, and there a few good films about the history of psychology. Montgomery Clift's "Freud" (1962) and the Australian film "Between the Wars" (1974) are examples that this can be achieved, and here we have another fine example.
There are some problems with the film. The influence of World War 1 on Freud's death theory is ignored as is Jung's unflattering complicity with the Nazis. The use of Otto Gross as the only other analyst in the film makes one think that early Psychoanalysis was permeated with sexual perverts, when in fact there were many people involved who were there for the intellectual and humanitarian purposes.
Another problem with the film is that the enormity of Freud's message is not really portrayed adequately. In 1900, the idea that our behavior was controlled by unconscious impulses was revolutionary, and as much of a problem for Freud as his sexual theory, yet the two were intertwined. The film's focus on the sexual theory doesn't do justice to the complexity of Freud's theory nor to how controversial it was.
The film also underplays the importance that Jung's role as a non-Jew had to the "movement" and how much anti-semitism was at play for a theory that seemed to be rooted in intellectual Jewish culture.
Critics were divided in assessing the film. Roger Ebert called the film "absorbing" and said Mortensten's performance was "masterful". The Hollywood Reporter called it "precise, lucid and thrillingly disciplined", but Rene Rodrigues of the Miami Herald called the film "crushingly dull".
The film was released in late November and earned nearly $4 million in the first month, which placed it 165 for all films released in the previous year. It had an estimated budget in excess of $20 million.
Bottom line - fans of biographies and anyone with an interest in Psychoanalysis will find this film very entertaining and informative, but for the ordinary film goer it may be too much talking and not enough action.
Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian Jew who developed the Psychoanalytic method as a result of his work in neurology and his experiments with Mesmerism (hypnosis). He published the first of many books in 1899 and this attracted the attention of dozens of intellectuals, including Carl Jung (1875-1961), a Swiss Psychiatrist.
Jung approached Freud in 1906 and their relationship lasted for approximately 7 years.
When they met, Freud was 50 and Jung was 31. Freud was a Jew and Jung was a Swiss Reformed Evangelical. Freud was 5'7", Jung was 6'1". Jung's experience was largely based in institutions and Freud was primarily a private physician. Freud lived comfortably but was never well off. Jung had been poor as a child but married one of the wealthiest women in Switzerland. Freud was known for being faithful to his wife and Jung was well known for his affairs, one of which is the focus of the film.
Keira Knightly plays Sabrina Spielrein (1885-1942), a former patient of Jung with whom he had an affair. Knightgly is the Natalie Portman look-alike who played the decoy Queen in Star Wars (1999). From this humble beginning she went on to earn an Oscar and a Golden Globe nomination for "Pride and Prejudice" (2005) and has been in such box office hits as the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and "King Arthur" (2004). As the conflicted and vulnerable Russian Jewess, this is by far her best performance and one of the best performances by anyone.
Viggo Mortensen plays the cigar smoking Freud (who ultimately developed cancer of the jaw). Mortensen is best known for his "Lord of the Rings" films as well as some stunning work in films like his Oscar nominated role in "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "A History of Violence" (2005). His work in this film earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He is marvelously understated.
Michael Fassbender plays Jung. Fassbender is best known for his work in "Inglorious Bastards" (2009) and his Golden Globe nominated "Shame" (2011). He does a good job acting, but he lacks the stature of Jung who towered over (at 6'1") his contempories.
David Cronenberg directs. Cronenberg is known as the "Baron of Blood" for films such as "Scanners" (1981), "Videodrone" (1983), "The Dead Zone" (1983) and "The Fly" (1986). He worked with Mortensen on "A History of Violence" (2005) and "Eastern Promises" (2007).
The beautiful on location photography is courtesy of Peter Suschitzky who is a long time collaborator with Cronenberg and who also has to his credit films as diverse as "Valentino" (1977), "Mars Attack" and "The Man in the Iron Mask". The excellent musical score is from Howard Shore whose most familiar work is "Lord of the Rings" for which he won 2 Oscars and 3 ASCAPs. and who also gave us memorable work in "Big", "Silence of the Lambs", "Philadelphia", and "Se7en".
It's hard to make a compelling movie about such an academic topic as the differences in emphasis between Freud and Jung, and there a few good films about the history of psychology. Montgomery Clift's "Freud" (1962) and the Australian film "Between the Wars" (1974) are examples that this can be achieved, and here we have another fine example.
There are some problems with the film. The influence of World War 1 on Freud's death theory is ignored as is Jung's unflattering complicity with the Nazis. The use of Otto Gross as the only other analyst in the film makes one think that early Psychoanalysis was permeated with sexual perverts, when in fact there were many people involved who were there for the intellectual and humanitarian purposes.
Another problem with the film is that the enormity of Freud's message is not really portrayed adequately. In 1900, the idea that our behavior was controlled by unconscious impulses was revolutionary, and as much of a problem for Freud as his sexual theory, yet the two were intertwined. The film's focus on the sexual theory doesn't do justice to the complexity of Freud's theory nor to how controversial it was.
The film also underplays the importance that Jung's role as a non-Jew had to the "movement" and how much anti-semitism was at play for a theory that seemed to be rooted in intellectual Jewish culture.
Critics were divided in assessing the film. Roger Ebert called the film "absorbing" and said Mortensten's performance was "masterful". The Hollywood Reporter called it "precise, lucid and thrillingly disciplined", but Rene Rodrigues of the Miami Herald called the film "crushingly dull".
The film was released in late November and earned nearly $4 million in the first month, which placed it 165 for all films released in the previous year. It had an estimated budget in excess of $20 million.
Bottom line - fans of biographies and anyone with an interest in Psychoanalysis will find this film very entertaining and informative, but for the ordinary film goer it may be too much talking and not enough action.
60 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is really a story of Victorian restraints versus early 20th century liberationist impulses and tendencies (or of ego versus id). Viggo Mortensen plays Freud as a man who is brave enough to suggest that sex is the key to unlocking virtually every human secret but who is so thoroughly ensconced in Victorian respectablity that he is uncertain what to do with this discovery. Initially, he places his hopes in Jung but, as Michael Fassbender plays him, Jung is too confused by his own personal truths and desires to see a clear way forward. Neither men seem to understand psychoanalysis as Sabina (Keira Knightly) understands it: as a personally and politically liberating art & science. Cronenberg's film (based on a book and stage play) suggests that we still haven't resolved the age-old dispute between Freud's patriarchal rationalism that preserves the social order and a more anti-patriarchal & anti-authoritarian version of psychoanalysis that transforms the social order. Keira Knightly's character seems to be the one nearest realizing some form of compromise between or some sort of synthesis of these two competing branches of the art/science but alas the film ends and we never learn what that way forward might have been. One thing is certain: this is my idea of cinema, a cinema of ideas.
48 of 54 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
first let's give acting credit where it is due. yes, the two male actors do a wonderful job. but the jump out of your seat and yell bravo performance certainly goes to keira knightly as first jung's patient and then freud's. she opens the movie as a psychiatric patient being forcibly conveyed to jung's clinic. she covers the gamut of range of emotion because she starts out as patient and ends up as therapist.
fassbender and mortenson do the more restrained jobs that playing jung and freud would require. there are strong emotions running between the two men but as analysts this must be conveyed in their typical observational and subdued style. for example, freud has a number of problems with jung and they aren't sexual! first and foremost, he envies him that he is married to one of the wealthiest women in europe. next, freud suffers from all the coming thunder of being a Jew in a Germany which will erupt against Jews. Jung has no such religious or ethnic background to constantly battle.
they only knew one another for seven years and then parted over divisive beliefs in where psychoanalytic practice should develop. they knew one another before the world wars broke out in europe. both are regarded as giants in the psychiatric field. few people, at least in america, receive either straight jungian or freudian therapy today. the major factor is that the cost of rendering such treatment does not fit within our health care system. however, all branches of treatment used today feature the basic precepts established by these two men.
i am not surprised that david cronenberg directed. this subject matter needed a very visionary old hand. i think he succeeded very well in bringing a potentially difficult subject to the screen. i've always been fascinated by this subject and these men so it was not hard for me to love this movie. if you barely know who they are, you may not have my enthusiasm for it. although it is hard to imagine how anyone could not love keira knightley's performance.
fassbender and mortenson do the more restrained jobs that playing jung and freud would require. there are strong emotions running between the two men but as analysts this must be conveyed in their typical observational and subdued style. for example, freud has a number of problems with jung and they aren't sexual! first and foremost, he envies him that he is married to one of the wealthiest women in europe. next, freud suffers from all the coming thunder of being a Jew in a Germany which will erupt against Jews. Jung has no such religious or ethnic background to constantly battle.
they only knew one another for seven years and then parted over divisive beliefs in where psychoanalytic practice should develop. they knew one another before the world wars broke out in europe. both are regarded as giants in the psychiatric field. few people, at least in america, receive either straight jungian or freudian therapy today. the major factor is that the cost of rendering such treatment does not fit within our health care system. however, all branches of treatment used today feature the basic precepts established by these two men.
i am not surprised that david cronenberg directed. this subject matter needed a very visionary old hand. i think he succeeded very well in bringing a potentially difficult subject to the screen. i've always been fascinated by this subject and these men so it was not hard for me to love this movie. if you barely know who they are, you may not have my enthusiasm for it. although it is hard to imagine how anyone could not love keira knightley's performance.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Clash of the (psych) titans
"A Dangerous Method" is a movie that disserved by its trailer -- it looked like a movie that focused on Carl Jung having an affair with a masochistic mental patient. Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. A Solinas
2.0 out of 5 stars
bad porn disquised as a intellectual romance
I could not even finish the movie and I am not surprised when a friend told me later that the book is a real snoozer too. Read more
Published 1 month ago by genws
2.0 out of 5 stars
Much talking, but no cure
A Dangerous Method, written by Christopher Hampton and directed by David Cronenberg, is the story of the relationship between the founding intellects of psychoanalysis, Sigmund... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jenna Brager
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this product!
I love the movie and I love the product. Great condition as said. I'm very happy with this purchase although the price now is dropped quite a bit but the movie is worth the price I... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jane F
5.0 out of 5 stars
Informative and very interesting
Based on a true story this movie was well done with superb acting by all but especially the three main characters. It was very interesting. Rec'd quick and in mint condition. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nimue
3.0 out of 5 stars
Freudian without a slip?
No, Jungian. I knew the story, this is a Hollywood mishmash with good parts and questionable. I like Kiera, find her lovely, but am not into S&M. Read more
Published 2 months ago by R. Overall
3.0 out of 5 stars
Can intellectuals have fun while having kinky, out of bounds sex?
It seems that those naughty sophisticated intellectual Europeans of 100 years ago were not casually naughty, they spent a lot of time thinking about it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Phred
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Movie Great Video
It was a little hard to watch the first part of the film but it turned out to have a satisfying ending.
The video was great with a 1:85 aspect ratio. Read more
The video was great with a 1:85 aspect ratio. Read more
Published 2 months ago by TJP
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting!
I would especially recommend this movie for people who are into this subject. If you have some background, I'm guessing you'll find it even more enjoyable. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Marifer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating story
This is a fictionalized account of a key player (Spielrein) in the early days of psycho-analysis, and her interaction with Freud and her analyst and lover. Jung. Read more
Published 3 months ago by agb
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