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A Dangerous Method
2011 99 min Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada R 18+
★6.9
Drama
Director: David Cronenberg
🎭 Based on
«The Talking Cure»
byChristopher Hampton
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
Seduced by the challenge of an impossible case, the driven Dr. Carl Jung takes the unbalanced yet beautiful Sabina Spielrein as his patient. Jung’s weapon is the method of his master, the renowned Sigmund Freud. Both men fall under Sabina’s spell.
Budget:
$15M
US Gross:
$5.7M
Worldwide:
$27.46M
Starring
Michael Fassbender
Actor
Keira Knightley
Actor
Viggo Mortensen
Actor
Awards
Golden Globe 2012
— Best Supporting Actor
Venice Film Festival 2011
— Golden Lion
Saturn Awards 2012
— Best Actress
Key opinion
A Dangerous Method presents a polished, dialogue-driven examination of the relationship between Freud, Jung, and Sabina Spielrein, though it divides viewers on its intellectual depth. While some appreciate its period-accurate atmosphere and performances, others find the film emotionally distant, overly clinical, and lacking the signature intensity of Cronenberg’s past work.
| Production | The film succeeds as a visually precise and authentic period piece that captures the atmosphere of early 20th-century Europe. | |
| Acting | Viggo Mortensen delivers a highly convincing and nuanced portrayal of Sigmund Freud that grounds the film's intellectual debates. | |
| Theme | The intellectual discourse between Freud and Jung regarding their psychoanalytic theories serves as the film’s most engaging and compelling element. | |
| Pacing | The pacing is divisive: some viewers find the deliberate, conversational tempo atmospheric and reflective, while others describe it as dull or exhausting. | |
| Acting | Keira Knightley’s performance polarizes the audience, with critics split between those who see it as a bold, experimental portrayal of mental illness and those who find it histrionic or grotesque. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are divided, as some value its concise exploration of psychoanalysis while others feel it remains shallow and fails to provide substantive depth. |