A BEAUTIFUL MIND

US, 2001, 135 minutes, Colour.

Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, Judd Hirsch, Austin Pendleton.

Directed by Ron Howard.

After seeing the film, audiences might like to do some research, a great deal of information found in Wikipedia.

A Beautiful Mind is a portrait of Nobel Prize winning mathematician, John Nash.  It is an adaptation of the Book by Sylvia Nasar. It is also a tribute to Nash who experienced a lifetime of paranoid schizophrenia.

Director, Ron Howard, stated the challenge for him and screenwriter, Akiva Goldsman, at the Golden Globe awards ceremony where A Beautiful Mind won Best Film of 2001: how to portray the workings of a beautiful mind on screen for the popular cinema-going public.  Howard is helped immeasurably by Russell Crowe who shows Nash relishing mathematical problems, Crowe projecting an inner satisfaction as he makes the mathematical links, works through the processes and relishes the solutions.  While most of us are bewildered by the mathematical thinking we are bedazzled by Crowe's communicating to us Nash's vigour and intellectual delight.

Without revealing an important aspect of the screenplay, it is worth saying that the film (which has received endorsements from societies dedicated to schizophrenics) enables the audience to experience something of the confusion, paranoia and desperation of the schizophrenic without being condescending to those who have the condition.  Later in the film, we are shown the impact of shock treatment and of medication as well as the effect of dedicated love (which can sometimes make the carer reach the end of their tether).

But, as the film-makers and the movie publicists are anxious to assure and reassure us, this is also a love story.  Early in the movie, Nash remarks that someone had said to him that two brains were not as beautiful as half a heart.  The posters declare that what is better than a beautiful mind is the courage of a beautiful heart.    Nash is drawn into loving Alicia.  When he asks her for some kind of evidence and proof of love, she asks him whether he can prove that the universe is infinite.  He replies that he cannot.  He believes it.   So, she says, the same with love.  In his Nobel Prize award-winning speech, he speaks openly of love transcending logic.

Russell Crowe won many awards as Best Actor of 2001, extending his range of acting after his performances in  Proof, Romper Stomper, LA Confidential, The Insider and Gladiator.  Jennifer Connelly has the role of a lifetime as Alicia.  Ron Howard adds to his substantial body of movies which include Parenthood, Apollo 13, Ransom and EdTV.  The impressive supporting cast includes Ed Harris as a Department of Defence agent, Paul Bettany as Nash's university roommate and Christopher Plummer as a psychiatrist.

A Beautiful Mind has its fascinations.  It is part of a series of mathematical and calculus movies with Stand And Deliver and Good Will Hunting.  John Nash, the movie character at least, is the genius who stands beside the savants, the autistics, the awakened from coma like Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man and Robert de Niro as Leonard in Awakenings. 

1. The acclaim for the film? Oscars and many awards? It is reputation over the decades?
2. The period in the US from 1948 to 1994, the postwar period, the style of the late 1940s, universities, campus, students, the transition to the 1950s, the Cold War period, American defence and intelligence? The transition to hospital, treatment, shock treatment? The later decades and campus life, lectures, research? The combination in the Nobel prize? The musical score, the final song sung by Charlotte Church?
3. A true story, John Nash alive when the film was made and released? His career, mathematics, economics theory, the imagination and cryptography, his research, his abilities and insight, his ambitions? Presented is on the spectrum? His attitude towards life, towards others, compulsive, perfectionist?
4. 1948, winning scholarship, his background, the rivalry with Martin, the friendship with Sol and Bender, Charlie as his roommate? Nash not wanting to go to classes, his own research, using the Windows, the library, playing the game with Martin and losing, not understanding how he could lose such a game? The discussions with the lecturer, is missing out on further scholarship? His development of his thesis, equilibrium, presenting it, his winning the competition? Martin conceding? But Sol and Bender continuing to work with Nash?
5. The influence of Charlie, the entry, British, drinking, carefree, beer and pizza, taking Nash out, Nash and is eyeing of the girl, his direct approach about sex, being slapped? The others laughing? Charlie urging Nash to a greater freedom, the papers and desk out the window?
6. 1954, Nash, completing studies, doctorate? His research, positions? Absentmindedness, not wanting to lecture, the encounter with Alicia, the noise and opening the window, acknowledging many solutions to a problem? Her later visiting him, solving the problem, his dismissing it? Her perseverance, suggesting a date, his taking her to the faculty social, the photographs? Happy with her? Wondering whether he should marry her, asking advice of Charlie? The marriage, celebration? Alicia pregnant, the birth of the baby?
7. 1954, the Cold War, hydrogen bombs, nuclear issues? Nash being approached by Walter, the commission, going to the Pentagon, looking at the figures, the dramatisation of the figures and his finding the solution, the location for the bombs? The discussions with Walter? Walter as secret agent, suit and hat? The commission to research, the code implanted in his arm, changing, going to the mansion, getting in, delivering his findings? Yet the pursuit, the anonymous cars? Walter rescuing him, the chase through the city, the shots, the crashes?
8. Nash giving a lecture in Boston, Charlie arriving with his knees, the background story of the crash? Nash’s response to the niece? And growing more reliant on Charlie?
9. At home, his behaviour, erratic, fears? Alicia concerned? Going to the shed, finding all the papers on the wall as she had found in his office at the University?
10. Hospital, calling in the doctor, talking with Alicia, the diagnosis of schizophrenia? Her visit to Nash, his being upset with her, walking out?
11. Audience response to Nash’s schizophrenia, the fantasies in his head for so long, Walter, Charlie as pigment his imagination, his niece? The continued reappearance? Walter, the secret mission, the dangers? Nash becoming paranoid, fearing being pursued, microphones…? The treatment, shock treatment, frequent, medication?
12. His return home, quiet, recovering, the baby, not taking his medication, the consequences, becoming more involved and conspiracies, seeing Walter and the characters?
13. The doctor, his care, analyses, Nash returning, not taking his medication? Nash and the continued challenge to reject the characters, farewell them, ignore them, yet their continually reappearing, shadowing him?
14. The 50s, research, the library, lectures? Going to see Martin, Martin helping him? The University position, yet the paranoid display in public, the consequences?
15. 1978, Nash calmer, continuing research, Alicia, family, students, a more stable life?
16. 1994, his achievement, not taking medication, but ignoring the continuous apparitions, Alicia and support? His son? With the students, the student with the theory? The arrival of the delegate from Sweden, checking whether he was crazy, the tribute is shown in the past of giving pens to the academic acclaimed, everybody bringing their pen to Nash?
17. The achievement of the Nobel Prize, his speech, acknowledgement to Alicia? (And, the year of the film’s release, the couple renewing their marriage commitments).