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    A Dangerous Method

    Different stars

    • 1 Howard ShoreBurghölzli 1:23
    • 2 Howard ShoreMiss Spielrein 1:37
    • 3 Howard ShoreGalvanometer 1:04
    • 4 Howard ShoreCarriage 1:07
    • 5 Howard ShoreHe's Very Persuasive 2:14
    • 6 Howard ShoreSabina 0:57
    • 7 Howard ShoreOtto Gross 2:47
    • 8 Howard ShoreA Boat with Red Sails 1:02
    • 9 Howard ShoreSiegfried 1:01
    • 10 Howard ShoreFreedom 1:14
    • 11 Howard ShoreEnd of the Affair 1:06
    • 12 Howard ShoreLetters 2:25
    • 13 Howard ShoreConfession 1:30
    • 14 Howard ShoreRisk My Authority 1:10
    • 15 Howard ShoreVienna 1:10
    • 16 Howard ShoreOnly One God 2:26
    • 17 Howard ShoreSomething Unforgivable 2:51
    • 18 Howard ShoreReflection 5:57
    • 19 Howard Shore & Lang LangSiegfried Idyll 32:04

    5

    " Based on the true story of Jung, Freud and the patient who came between them."
    Country
    Spoken Language
    Runtime 1 hr 39 min
    Budget €15 000 000
    Premiere: World $30 286 325 September 30, 2011
    USA $5 704 709
    Other countries $24 581 616
    Premiere: USA $5 704 709 October 19, 2011
    theaters 365
    rollout 405 days
    Digital: World March 27, 2012
    Parental Advisory
    • Sex & Nudity

      average

    • Frightening & Intense Scenes

      few

    • Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

      few

    • Profanity

      few

    • Violence & Gore

      few

    Production Companies
    Also Known As

    Description

    A look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.

    Сast and Crew

    A Dangerous Method: The Book Behind the Film

    About the Book

    A Dangerous Method is based on the book A Most Dangerous Method: The Story of Jung, Freud, and Sabina Spielrein by John Kerr. The book delves into the complex relationships between Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, and Sabina Spielrein, exploring the early days of psychoanalysis and the personal and professional dynamics that shaped its development.

    About the Author

    John Kerr was an American author and psychoanalyst. His work focused on the history of psychoanalysis, and he was known for his detailed research and engaging narrative style. A Most Dangerous Method is his most famous work, providing a deep insight into the lives and minds of some of the most influential figures in psychology.

    Book vs. Film

    The film A Dangerous Method is an adaptation of Kerr's book, and it attempts to capture the essence of the complex relationships and historical context presented in the text. While the film takes some creative liberties for dramatic effect, it remains largely faithful to the book's portrayal of the key figures and events. The screenplay, written by Christopher Hampton, aims to translate the intricate psychological and emotional nuances of the book into a visual medium.

    Key Themes and Elements

      • The intellectual and personal tensions between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud.

      • The role of Sabina Spielrein in the development of psychoanalytic theory.

      • The exploration of early 20th-century attitudes towards mental health and treatment.

    The Real Story Behind "A Dangerous Method"

    The film "A Dangerous Method" is based on the complex and intertwined relationships between three prominent figures in the early development of psychoanalysis: Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, and Sabina Spielrein. The narrative is rooted in historical events and personal correspondences that shaped the early 20th-century psychological landscape.

    Key Figures

      • Carl Jung: A Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work was pivotal in the development of modern psychology, and his relationship with Freud was both collaborative and contentious.

      • Sigmund Freud: An Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis. Freud's theories on the unconscious mind and the mechanisms of repression were groundbreaking, and his mentorship of Jung was significant in the latter's early career.

      • Sabina Spielrein: A Russian physician and one of the first female psychoanalysts. Spielrein was initially a patient of Jung's and later became a significant figure in the psychoanalytic community, contributing to theories on the death drive and child development.

    Historical Context

    The real story begins in the early 1900s when Sabina Spielrein was admitted to the Burghölzli psychiatric hospital in Zurich, where Carl Jung was practicing. Spielrein's treatment under Jung led to a complex relationship that was both professional and personal. This relationship, along with Jung's growing interest in psychoanalysis, brought him into contact with Sigmund Freud.

    Jung and Freud's relationship was initially one of mutual respect and collaboration. However, as Jung's ideas began to diverge from Freud's, particularly regarding the nature of the unconscious and the role of sexuality, tensions arose. These differences eventually led to a rift between the two men, marking a significant moment in the history of psychoanalysis.

    Correspondence and Contributions

    The correspondence between Jung, Freud, and Spielrein provides a detailed account of their intellectual exchanges and personal dynamics. Spielrein's contributions to psychoanalysis, particularly her ideas on the death drive, were influential, though often overshadowed by her male counterparts.

    Film Accuracy

    The film, based on the play "The Talking Cure" by Christopher Hampton, and the book "A Most Dangerous Method" by John Kerr, strives to remain faithful to the historical events and personal dynamics of the time. While some dramatic liberties are taken for narrative purposes, the core story reflects the real-life complexities and contributions of these pioneering figures in psychology.

    Production

    Hampton's earliest version of the screenplay, dating back to the 1990s, was written for Julia Roberts in the role of Sabina Spielrein, but the film was never realized. Hampton re-wrote the screenplay for the stage, before producer Jeremy Thomas acquired the rights for both the earlier script and the stage version.

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    David Cronenberg — Top Rated Movies

    Critique: 35

    80%
    28 7
    NPR November 23, 2011

    A Dangerous Method didn’t have to be another Naked Lunch, but Freud plus Jung plus Cronenburg should have equaled something a little mor...

    entertainment.time.com November 22, 2011

    Knightley makes a lovely lover for Carl. If Sabina is a vampire, then she’s Edward Cullen, the creature who knows too much, to his Bella...

    Variety November 23, 2011

    David Cronenberg’s career-long fascination with matters of the mind manifests itself in compelling but determinedly non-mind-bending fashion.

    Austin Chronicle December 23, 2011

    It’s a period piece about the origins of psychoanalysis and the sexual confusions of its progenitors that is eloquent and handsomely mad...

    Boston.com December 22, 2011

    "A Dangerous Method'' begins where other films hope to culminate.

    Hollywood Reporter September 2, 2011

    Precise, lucid and thrillingly disciplined, this story of boundary-testing in the early days of psychoanalysis is brought to vivid life by the outs...

    Salon.com September 10, 2011

    It’s a handsome and stimulating film, noteworthy more for its terrific acting and provocative ideas than for any kind of dark Cronenberg...

    thisislondon.co.uk February 10, 2012

    Keira can act! She really can.

    New York Post November 23, 2011

    "A Dangerous Method'' presents a vivid portrait of pre-World War I Europe that’s at a considerable remove from the types of madness usua...

    New York Daily News November 22, 2011

    The only truly dangerous element here belongs to Keira Knightley, who dares to offer the most off-putting performance of the year.

    Little White Lies (UK) February 9, 2012

    Infinitely assured moviemaking.

    Daily Telegraph February 9, 2012

    Cronenberg dissects the early days of psychoanalysis here in a precisely plotted, superficially genteel costume drama, but one in which erupti...

    HollywoodChicago.com December 16, 2011

    Easily the masterful director’s most straightforward work in some time (possibly ever), this is a worthwhile piece that nonetheless disa...

    Independent September 9, 2011

    For all its formal restraint, the film is just as subversive and as disquieting as predecessors such as Crash and The Naked Lunch.

    Guardian February 9, 2012

    Cronenberg has created a drama of male hysterics with no interest in diagnosing their own condition – perhaps the career of each is a con...

    TheWrap November 22, 2011

    Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and a prestige piece is just a well-intentioned bore.

    The New Republic June 20, 2013

    It makes for an absorbing drama and leaves the mustiness of cigars in the theatre.

    SFGATE December 15, 2011

    When at one point Jung spanks his patient, you may completely miss the erotic content and simply think what I thought – that somebody, fi...

    Chicago Reader December 15, 2011

    This is a movie with too much talk and not enough sensation.

    Time Out November 22, 2011

    If the movie falls just shy of our highest mark, this is because Cronenberg is tamping down on his usually naturalistic performances – everyth...

    AV Club November 22, 2011

    Cronenberg has made a wholly satisfying case study, but not quite enough of a movie.

    Slant Magazine September 24, 2011

    David Cronenberg’s focus remains, as always, on issues of mind/body invasion, corruption, and rebirth.

    Guardian September 2, 2011

    A Dangerous Mind feels heavy and lugubrious. It is a tale that comes marinated in port and choked on pipe-smoke.

    Philadelphia Inquirer January 5, 2012

    This is a freaky thing to behold: Knightley’s wildly physical rendering of a mentally unbalanced soul.

    Slate November 25, 2011

    It’s a fiercely thoughtful film, a movie of ideas that understands how powerful ideas can be.

    ReelViews January 7, 2012

    Knightley’s portrayal is feral and unsettling.

    Rolling Stone November 21, 2011

    The actors give it their all, especially Knightley, whose jaw – jutting, heavily accented and unfairly criticized portrayal gives this erotic...

    Arizona Republic December 21, 2011

    Whatever the elements, Cronenberg has made a good movie from them, with outstanding performances by Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen.

    Newark Star-Ledger November 23, 2011

    Most of this talky film just feels like a debate between two experts, trying to answer a question few of us had asked. When the real ques...

    Los Angeles Times November 22, 2011

    It’s fascinating to see the exceptionally charismatic Fassbender squeeze himself into the role of the aristocratic, restrained Jung, and it&r...

    DVDTalk.com October 7, 2011

    'A Dangerous Method' is not quite the scorching bodice-ripper promised by the ads. But the good news is, it’s more interesting than that.

    MSN Movies November 23, 2011

    The harder you look at it, the wilder, and more disturbing, and more moving, it becomes.

    Christian Science Monitor November 23, 2011

    Knightley’s performance calms down eventually, and a good thing, too. If she maintained that early pace, she would have burned up the co...

    ca.askmen.com November 25, 2011

    A Dangerous Method will feel like Cronenberg in a corset. The director sticks so close to the documented facts that there is little room to br...

    The Atlantic November 23, 2011

    It’s a smart study of the root causes of destructive human behavior, but there’s a flat quality to the dark impulses on display.

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    Friends comments and ratings

    Watched

    Continuous psychological conversations and self-analysis, this slowness bothered me. The theme of morality, torment and friendship among psychologists was captured primarily thanks to the cool acting work, and the fact of the reality of the event looks nice.

    Translated to English

    Watched

    A leisurely film that tells about the relationship and strange friendship between Gustav Jung and Sigmund Freud. I liked the film, it seemed to quote a book from the ZhZL series in terms of characters. But interesting thoughts are expressed about taboo topics. I advise you to see

    Translated to English

    Watched

    Boring movie. If you are looking for spice, this is not the place for you. Keira Knightley’s acting is awkward to watch.

    Translated to English

    Watched

    The method turned out to be not such a dangerous one, Dr. Jung is a darling, Freud is envious. The film is superficial, boring and not at all Cronenbergian, alas. But now I know that Knightley (miscast) can protrude his lower jaw further than he can see, much better than acting. Disappointment.

    Translated to English

    Watched

    It was pure fun to watch, but a little incomprehensible, but for a real story it was already not bad, just 7/10. Sigmund Freud is especially portrayed very naturally, thanks to Viggo Mortensen.

    Translated to English