Thelongestfilm.com – A Beautiful Mind. Human life made easier from time to time by the presence of science. Science plays a major role in the development of technology that has a wider impact on humans. Therefore, those who succeed in creating something that greatly contributes to humanity will receive the Nobel Prize.
One area that plays an important role in human life is mathematics. Theories found in mathematics can even used for broader interests, such as the economics sector.
That’s what John Forbes Nash, Jr., did in the film A Beautiful Mind. You can read the synopsis and review of the film here!
Synopsis A Beautiful Mind
In 1947, John Nash accepted into Princeton University via a scholarship for a mathematics study program. Nash not an ordinary student; he had a great desire to create a revolutionary new theory.
His theory inspired by the way men approach women in bars, which Nash thinks is more likely to be successful if done cooperatively.
Nash published the theory he created. The theory convinced him to become a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In his new place, Nash managed to solve differential geometry. Previously, no one had ever succeeded in doing this. While teaching at MIT, Nash met Alicia, one of the students he taught.
In 1953, Nash invited to the Pentagon to study encrypted telecommunications. Nash managed to solve it. Feeling bored with his duties as a lecturer, Nash recruited by William Parcher, who claimed to be from the US Department of Defense.
Nash given the task of finding hidden patterns in magazines and newspapers published in Russia. Nash begins to obsess over his new assignment, even feeling he is being followed by someone.
Alicia takes Nash out for dinner, and the two fall in love. While visiting Princeton, Nash meets Charles, a former literature student, and his niece, Marcee. Charles encourages Nash to immediately propose to Alicia. Nash proposes to Alicia, and the two marry.
Nash begins to fear for his life after surviving Parcher’s fight against Soviet agents. At the same time, Alicia was pregnant with Nash’s child.
Parcher asked Nash to continue his task. While visiting a professor at Harvard, Nash ran away because he felt he being chased by Soviet agents.
Nash hit Dr. Rosen, a psychiatrist whom he considers to be the leader of the agency. Dr. Rosen injected Nash and sent him to a psychiatric facility. Dr. Rosen tells Alicia that Nash has schizophrenia.
The figures he saw, namely Charles, Marcee, and Parcher, were just imaginary figures in Nash’s mind. Alicia meets Nash and tells him that the Parcher doesn’t exist.
To overcome schizophrenia, Nash given insulin shock therapy. Furthermore, Nash required to take medicine. Nash felt the drugs made him easily tired and made it hard to concentrate. Therefore, he chose not to take medication anymore. As a result, he saw the figures of Charles, Marcee, and Parcher again.
In 1965, Alicia discovered that Nash was back at his job, looking for patterns in newspapers and magazines. Realizing that her husband had relapsed, Alicia came home and found her child almost drowning in the bathtub.
Nash felt that Charles was watching his son. Alicia called Dr. Rosen, but Nash instead beat her until she was unconscious. At that time, Nash felt that Alicia was Parcher.
When she regained consciousness, Alicia tried to take her child to escape from Nash. Nash stopped the car Alicia was traveling in and realized that the figures she was seeing were just hallucinations. Dr. Rosen asked Nash to return to taking drugs, but Nash refused. What other struggles must Nash go through?
Humane Nash Packaging
A Beautiful Mind tells the story of Nash’s life, from the beginning of his entry into Princeton to winning the Nobel Prize. As a biographical film, the figure of Nash shown in the story made humanely.
Nash, who made major contributions to mathematics and economics, not made to appear flawless. This film also shows his shortcomings and struggles to become a Nobel laureate.
From the beginning of the film, we might be fooled into thinking that the figure of Nash, who later becomes a mathematician, is depicted as someone who is uncomfortable when interacting with many people. Such characters are common to strengthen scientists perceptions.
But there’s a scene when he approaches a woman in a bar, and instead of picking a general topic, he talks about sex, which makes him feel different.
Reality versus hallucinations
As a scientist or expert, Nash’s weapon is his mind. His mind is also the one that will have a lot of influence on humans. But the same thoughts also make him face personal problems. The problem arises because he suffers from delusions of seeing figures that don’t really exist.
A Beautiful Mind emphasizes reality against the hallucinations experienced by Nash. The reason seemed reasonable because Nash was suffering from schizophrenia. This film even boldly describes how the symptoms felt by sufferers of this disease are complete with the struggle to overcome them.
The depth of Nash’s character in this film is very solid. At the beginning of the film, his teacher mentions that Nash has two brains but only half a heart.
His difficulty socializing also depicted in the scene when Nash says that he doesn’t like people and vice versa. Because of these two things, the narrative of Nash’s journey to the point of success feels strongly built.
Cinematographically, A Beautiful Mind exhibits several unique shooting techniques. In one scene, Nash looks directly at the camera to show that the film is progressing from his perspective and capture his paranoia.
When Nash is hallucinating, the nuances of the film are made darker to reinforce the story that Nash feels that he is being followed by other people and is in danger.
Russell Crowe’s amazing performance
It seems that there is no other actor who is right to play the character of John Nash in A Beautiful Mind besides Russell Crowe. The New Zealand-born actor can liven up Nash’s character. Crowe can be a person who has difficulty blending in with others but still has high self-confidence and tends to be arrogant.
The highlight of Crowe’s appearance in this film is when he hallucinates. He could be someone who diligently looks for secret patterns in newspapers and magazines.
He then feels paranoid that he is being followed by others and that his life is in danger. The actor managed to make us, as viewers, feel concerned about Nash with all his craziness and struggles.
A Beautiful Mind is a balanced biographical film that presents the narration of a Nobel laureate named John Nash.
In a duration of 135 minutes, we will shown the figure of Nash with his strengths and weaknesses. The relatively long duration feels commensurate with the story presented.
