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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A Dangerous Method
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- 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
A Dangerous Method
(2011)5
Description
A look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.Сast and Crew
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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.
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Critique: 35
A Dangerous Method didn’t have to be another Naked Lunch, but Freud plus Jung plus Cronenburg should have equaled something a little mor...
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...
David Cronenberg’s career-long fascination with matters of the mind manifests itself in compelling but determinedly non-mind-bending fashion.
It’s a period piece about the origins of psychoanalysis and the sexual confusions of its progenitors that is eloquent and handsomely mad...
Precise, lucid and thrillingly disciplined, this story of boundary-testing in the early days of psychoanalysis is brought to vivid life by the outs...
It’s a handsome and stimulating film, noteworthy more for its terrific acting and provocative ideas than for any kind of dark Cronenberg...
"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...
The only truly dangerous element here belongs to Keira Knightley, who dares to offer the most off-putting performance of the year.
Cronenberg dissects the early days of psychoanalysis here in a precisely plotted, superficially genteel costume drama, but one in which erupti...
Easily the masterful director’s most straightforward work in some time (possibly ever), this is a worthwhile piece that nonetheless disa...
For all its formal restraint, the film is just as subversive and as disquieting as predecessors such as Crash and The Naked Lunch.
Cronenberg has created a drama of male hysterics with no interest in diagnosing their own condition – perhaps the career of each is a con...
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and a prestige piece is just a well-intentioned bore.
It makes for an absorbing drama and leaves the mustiness of cigars in the theatre.
When at one point Jung spanks his patient, you may completely miss the erotic content and simply think what I thought – that somebody, fi...
If the movie falls just shy of our highest mark, this is because Cronenberg is tamping down on his usually naturalistic performances – everyth...
Cronenberg has made a wholly satisfying case study, but not quite enough of a movie.
David Cronenberg’s focus remains, as always, on issues of mind/body invasion, corruption, and rebirth.
A Dangerous Mind feels heavy and lugubrious. It is a tale that comes marinated in port and choked on pipe-smoke.
This is a freaky thing to behold: Knightley’s wildly physical rendering of a mentally unbalanced soul.
It’s a fiercely thoughtful film, a movie of ideas that understands how powerful ideas can be.
The actors give it their all, especially Knightley, whose jaw – jutting, heavily accented and unfairly criticized portrayal gives this erotic...
Whatever the elements, Cronenberg has made a good movie from them, with outstanding performances by Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen.
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...
It’s fascinating to see the exceptionally charismatic Fassbender squeeze himself into the role of the aristocratic, restrained Jung, and it&r...
'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.
The harder you look at it, the wilder, and more disturbing, and more moving, it becomes.
Knightley’s performance calms down eventually, and a good thing, too. If she maintained that early pace, she would have burned up the co...
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...
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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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.
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
Watched
Boring movie. If you are looking for spice, this is not the place for you. Keira Knightley’s acting is awkward to watch.
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.
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