A Dangerous Method Movie Review

Barb and I go to matinees at our local art-house movie theatre, the Main in Royal Oak, a lot during the winter. On Sunday there may be six or seven people during a screening (we’re not complaining- we generally have the place to ourselves). We expected the same last Sunday when we went to see the new David Cronenberg film, A Dangerous Method. THE LINE WOUND AROUND THE LOBBY and the concession stand may have run out of popcorn. I was pleasantly surprised that so many David Cronenberg fans abound. If this afternoon crowd was an indicator, A Dangerous Method may be Cronenberg’s most successful movie to date, and I’m thrilled.

One Line Synopsis

Carl Jung hooks up with a chick who gets off by getting spanked while Sigmund Freud simmers with jealousy.

Director

David Cronenberg

Screenplay

Christopher Hampton based on John Kerr’s book A Most Dangerous Method.

Standout Actors

Keira Knightly (convincingly disturbed) as Sabina and Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung.

Best Bit Part

The servant holding the silver platter of food during dinner with Sigmund Freud and family.

Two scenes in the film (aside from Knightly’s jaw-jutting, psycho moments) stood out for me. The first is where Freud is put in his social-strata place when he and Jung board the ship bound for America. Jung is escorted to a stateroom while Freud travels second class. This deepens the rift between them. The second and most profound moment for me is when Jung explains the difference between Freud’s world view and his own. Freud wants his patients to understand the world in order to live in it. Jung wants his patients to understand who they are or were in order to become who they want to be. I opt for the Jungian point of view.

 Grade: A