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"Nova" Einstein's Big Idea (2005)



Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   35 votes
Director:
Gary Johnstone
Writers:
David Bodanis (book)
Gary Johnstone (writer)
TV Series:
"Nova" (1974)
Original Air Date:
11 October 2005 (Season 33, Episode 3)
Plot:
E = mc2 is not about an old Einstein, it's about a young, energetic, dynamic, even a sexy Einstein. | add synopsis
User Comments:
Fine dramatic depiction of the discoveries of Einstein and his precursors more

Cast

  (Episode Credited cast)
Andrew Callaway ... Maupertuis
Andy Crabbe ... Habicht (as Andrew Crabb)
Daniel D'Alessandro ... Algarotti
Hélène de Fougerolles ... Emilie du Châtelet

Ian Duncan ... Charles de Breteuil
Brendan Fleming ... Hermann Einstein
Gregory Fox-Murphy ... Brande

Ty Glaser ... Marie Anne Lavoisier
Richard Hansell ... Maxwell

Shirley Henderson ... Mileva Maric

Philip Herbert ... Count de Amerval
Chris Jenkinson ... Dr. Haller

Wolf Kahler ... Horlein
George Layton ... Emilie's Father
Anton Lesser ... Voltaire

John Lithgow ... Narrator
Alex MacQueen ... Chater

Aidan McArdle ... Albert Einstein
Richard Mulholland ... Emilie's Tutor

Michael Müller ... Strassman
Stephen Noonan ... Marat
Steven Robertson ... Michael Faraday

Christian Rubeck ... Otto Hahn (as Christian Pedersen)
Michael Sarne ... Proffesseur Fritz Muhlberg
Rowan Schlosberg ... Besso
Robert Styles ... Newman
Simon Tcherniak ... Robert Frisch
James Tovell ... Manson
Di Trevis ... Baroness de la Garde

Samuel West ... Humphry Davy
Emily Woof ... Lise Meitner
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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful:-
Fine dramatic depiction of the discoveries of Einstein and his precursors, 8 May 2007
9/10

This is a 112-minute NOVA production directed by Gary Johnstone based on the book E=MC2 by David Bodanis. John Lithgow narrates and Aiden McArdle stars as Albert Einstein. It's the kind of documentary that melds interviews with scientists and historians with reconstructions of historical events by actors. "Einstein's Big Idea" is a particularly good example of this genre.

Bodanis realized when he conceived the book that it wasn't enough merely to write about Einstein. It was necessary to bring Einstein's precursors and their ideas and discoveries into the mix. This film does the same and does it well. Recalled is the story of Michael Faraday who discovered electromagnetic induction and that of Antoine Lavoisier who demonstrated the conservation of matter. Worth noting is the influence of women in these stories. Shirley Henderson plays Einstein's first wife and fellow physicist Mileva Maric while Ty Glaser portrays Lavoisier's wife, Marie Anne, who was a fine chemist in her own right. Included is the sad story of Lise Meitner, Austrian born Jewish physicist, who was betrayed by fellow physicist Otto Hahn in Nazi Germany in that he won a Nobel Prize in large part because of work she had done.

What impressed me about this production was the fine acting by especially Shirley Henderson who is an outstanding actress, and Aiden McArdle who looked the spitting image of a young Albert Einstein. Ty Glaser was also very good. Johnstone's direction was first rate. His ability to recreate various time periods in a realistic way should propel him toward a career adapting historical novels to the screen.

The film concentrates on the personalities of the scientists and their struggles and successes. The actual science is secondary. Consequently this is a good film for people, especially young people, interested in science but without yet a lot of scientific training.

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