A Dangerous Method (2011)

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

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

Christopher Hampton (screenplay), Christopher Hampton (play)

Stars:

Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 18 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keira Knightley	...	Sabina Spielrein
Viggo Mortensen	...	Sigmund Freud
Michael Fassbender	...	Carl Jung
Vincent Cassel	...	Otto Gross
Sarah Gadon	...	Emma Jung
André Hennicke	...	Prof. Eugen Bleuler (as André M. Hennicke)
Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey	...	Sándor Ferenczi
Mignon Remé	...	Jung's Secretary
Mareike Carrière	...	Food Nurse
Franziska Arndt	...	Bath Nurse
Wladimir Matuchin	...	Nikolai Spielrein
André Dietz	...	Medical Policeman
Anna Thalbach	...	Bathtub Patient
Sarah Marecek	...	Orchard Nurse
Bjorn Geske	...	Orderly (as Björn Geske)

Storyline

Suffering from hysteria, Sabina Spielrein is hospitalized under the care of Dr. Carl Jung who has begun using Dr. Sigmund Freud's talking cure with some of his patients. Spielrain's psychological problems are deeply rooted in her childhood and violent father. She is highly intelligent however and hopes to be a doctor, eventually becoming a psychiatrist in her own right. The married Jung and Spielrein eventually become lovers. Jung and Freud develop an almost father-son relationship with Freud seeing the young Jung as his likely successor as the standard-bearer of his beliefs. A deep rift develops between them when Jung diverges from Freud's belief that while psychoanalysis can reveal the cause of psychological problems it cannot cure the patient.

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Plot Keywords:

spanking a woman | bare breast | friendship | dream interpretation | beating with a belt | 

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Taglines:

Why deny what you desire the most? [Scandinavian DVD]

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and brief language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The age difference between Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender is 19 years, just as it was between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.

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Goofs

When Jung and Freud sail to America, the Statue of Liberty they pass by has a golden torch. But the statue's original torch, in place till 1984, had portholes in it which were illuminated from within. Not until 1986 was the current gold-leaf covered torch installed.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Carl Jung: [to his new patient] Good morning... I'm Dr. Jung. I admitted you yesterday.
Sabina Spielrein: I'm not... I'm not mad, you know.
Carl Jung: Let me explain what I have in mind. I propose that we meet here, most days, to talk for an hour or two.
Sabina Spielrein: Talk?
Carl Jung: Yes. Just talk. See if we can identify what's troubling you. So as to distract you as little as possible, I'm going to sit there, behind you. I'm going to ask you to try not to turn around and look at me under any circumstances. Now...
[walks behind her as she flinches]
Carl Jung: ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

This film is based on true events, but certain scenes, especially those in the private sphere, are of a speculative nature.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Venice Film Festival 2011 (2011)

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Soundtracks

Fantasie aus Walküre
by Richard Wagner
Performed by Edison-Orchester Berlin
Under the direction of Max Büchner
Edison Goldguss-Walze 15278, Berlin 1905

User Reviews

mixed feelings

I am a Cronenberg fan. I think a History of Violence is one of the greatest films ever made! I also think Eastern Promises showed what happens when a great Director pairs with an awesome muse. I anticipated this film eagerly but after watching it I was left with mixed feelings. Perhaps this is because the script was not as tight as that of the first two films I mentioned. It was never going to be easy capturing something as abstract as psychoanalysis on film, yet I can say that this film does ramble on at times and it is slow. A History of Violence was slow but the pay off was fantastic. Here there was no pay off. We were shown the lives of three great, complicated minds and that was it. After reading about the lives of the three central characters I can safely say that perhaps this was not the film Cronenberg should have made about Freud. He opted respectfully for the less dramatic and more factual and I think this sacrifice could have hurt what could have been another Cronenberg/Mortensen smash-hit. That said, I also think Keira Knightley was a mis-cast and Mortensen and Fassbender were as perfect as ever. Looking forward to the next Cronenberg flick. This wasn't awful but I expected more.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK Germany Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 2011 (Germany)

Also Known As:

A Dangerous Method

Filming Locations:

Schloss Belvedere - Rennweg 6, Vienna, Austria

Box Office

Budget:

EUR15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$167,953, 27 November 2011

Gross USA:

$5,704,709

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,519,436

Company Credits

Production Co:

Recorded Picture Company (RPC), Lago Film, Prospero Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1