Ron Howard’s film A Beautiful Mind is well known in our country largely due to the incredible work of Russell Crowe, who played the role of John Nash in it – a real scientist who has been struggling with schizophrenia for many years. The story about Professor John Nash attracts attention because the film is based on real events. In fact, there was a Nobel laureate who, thanks to willpower, was able to curb his illness and return not only to society to work but also to achieve great heights. However, there are different opinions on this in the reviews of this film.
One of the popular opinions says that where there is genius, there is madness. “The film’s message is that the flip side of genius is madness, the reverse of beautiful abstraction an impenetrable mess in a troglodyte’s den” (Romney, 2018). There are many similar examples in history: writers who often committed suicide or were treated in a psychiatric hospital; artists who shocked the public with their shocking and eccentric behavior; for example, Vincent Van Gogh and Salvador Dali. Moreover, active brain work is required to discover something new, to find something that will attract an audience, and not everyone will be able to work in this mode. Such people are often obsessed with their idea and do not want to listen to anyone. Consequently, in the film, the main character is a vivid example of a misunderstood genius.
It will also be interesting to consider the opinion about the behavior of the main character in the film. “Unfortunately, Nash’s inability to socialize with any semblance of normalcy makes him a largely unsympathetic, distant outsider” (Massie, 2020). This is quite an interesting opinion for discussion since his unsociability and detachment are a significant part of his image. In the film, the main character is presented as a person who has devoted most of his life to mathematics and computing. Therefore, it is normal that he does not have the skills to communicate with people.
The next thing the audience should pay attention to is the humor in the film. “Traces of Nash’s dry West Virginia wit are preserved through the fog of schizophrenia and medication.” (Miller, 2006). This is an interesting quote that is worth paying attention to since there are comedic moments in the film. Indeed, it is interesting to follow the main character, and his absent-mindedness in certain scenes is presented humorously. Consequently, humor plays an important role in this film, and mathematician Nash proves that despite his psychological problems, he can joke and laugh at himself.
Another significant characteristic of the main character is his ability to restore order and find small details. “Even when there’s no order to be found, his mind keeps searching for one” (Klawans, 2002). That is why his mind created the very KGB officers who hired him to solve secret ciphers for them. Nash’s ability to organize and find a pattern helps him succeed in scientific activity. Consequently, the director of the film wanted to show the connection between intellectual abilities and his illness.
It is worth paying attention to a rather controversial comment in one of the reviews. “Crowe bottles up his raging masculinity and suggest an inner weakling who looks genuinely uncomfortable within his hulking frame” (Tobias, 2001). The director of the film needed to deprive the main character of masculinity and present him as clumsy and absent-minded to fully convey the picture. Consequently, the movie director resorted to this method intentionally and presented the mathematician Nash to the audience more clearly and vividly.
In conclusion, there are many controversial opinions about the film Beautiful Mind. Some consider the film boring and do not see similarities with the real story of the mathematician. Others believe the film is a masterpiece of cinema. There is no denying that the film scored high ratings among viewers and positive reviews are much more than negative it is worth watching for everyone at least once in their life.
Works Cited
Massie, Mike. “A Beautiful Mind”. G.T., 2020.
Miller, Brayan. “Proof”. Seattle Weekly, 2006.
Klawans, Stuart. “In This Corner…”. The Nation, 2002.
Romney, Jonathan. “A Beautiful Mind”. Independent, 2018.
Tobias, Scott. “A Beautiful Mind”. AV Club, 2001.