6.4/10
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A Dangerous Method (2011)

Trailer
1:53 | Trailer
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) | 1 more credit »
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Popularity
3,908 ( 320)
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 18 wins & 27 nominations. See more awards »

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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 Mignon Remé ... Jung's Secretary
Mareike Carrière ... Food Nurse
Franziska Arndt Franziska Arndt ... Bath Nurse
Wladimir Matuchin Wladimir Matuchin ... Nikolai Spielrein
André Dietz ... Medical Policeman
Anna Thalbach ... Bathtub Patient
Sarah Marecek Sarah Marecek ... Orchard Nurse
Bjorn Geske Bjorn Geske ... Orderly (as Björn Geske)
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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. Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

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


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and brief language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Did You Know?

Trivia

At Viggo Mortensen's suggestion, Freud is smoking a cigar in every scene except the family dinner with Jung, where there was one waiting for him on set, just off-screen. See more »

Goofs

Sabina's accent is very inconsistent throughout, ranging from noticeably American to pan-European and Russian Émigré. See more »

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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Connections

Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 1 September 2011 (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

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

 
A triangle of psychosis
27 August 2012 | by p-stepienSee all my reviews

At the beginning of the 20th Century modern-day psychoanalysis was coming to the forefront mainly through the work of penis-obsessed Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and the more individualistic teachings of Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender). Caught up in the battle for primacy of science is neurotic sex-obsessed Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), who as a patient / understudy to Carl Jung develops a deep relation with her mentor, which transcends into erotic extremities. As interactions between the elder scientist Freud and his youthful protégée Jung are enhanced, they finally end with a dramatic split of chosen paths, where Jung decides to foregoe any previous admiration towards his peer. Through emotional undercurrents of relations between the three characters we are introduced to tidbits of history of psychoanalysis and the differences in vision of the men who revolutionised the world. Events are strongly based on real life incidents, mostly historically accurate with only a necessary dramatic licence put in place to forward the story.

Thematically a very Cronenberg film and a mildly successful endeavor, which invites re-watching to fully understand the interactions between all three main characters and their undeniable, but only subtly presented, consequences. Cronenberg, always a master at getting the ugliness as well as the acting out of the most incompetent manages a rare feat: successfully proves that Keira Knightley does have some acting credentials, even if her crazed performance full of nervous ticks was at times unbearable to watch. Nothing as accomplished as the opposing forces of Mortensen and Fassbender who masterfully confronted each other both as actors as well as characters. In a tale of rivalry between concepts and ideals personal animosities do not go unnoticed with an absolutely key scene, where Jung reveals intimate dreams to Freud, who in turn reacts with contempt at Jung's readiness to be dissected, pointing out strongly that he would never lower himself to such a level.

"A Dangerous Method" is also as emotionally sterile and disturbing as Cronenberg can be (despite having almost no brutality and little sexual content). However fitting it seems to the subject matter it can leave viewers alienated, although I myself was enthralled for the most part, put off in between, but I fully understand the feeling of being underwhelmed, as the rationale behind the story isn't focused.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Official site | See more »

Country:

UK | Germany | Canada | USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 2011 (Germany) See more »

Also Known As:

A Dangerous Method See more »

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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
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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