A Dangerous Method

A Dangerous Method is a movie about Carl Gustav Jung, his relationship to a young patient, and his longterm friendship with renowned Sigmund Freud.  This is a beautiful film which has a wonderfully written script, great direction, and superb acting by each of the three main characters as well as a supporting character who plays Carl's beautiful but rich wife. 

It opens in Zurich, Switzerland, and then occasionally travels to Vienna, Austria where  Sigmund Freud practices his medicine.  The story is based upon Carl's relationship and friendship to Freud, who he sees as a father figure.  There are scenes in this which like the previous movie that I just discussed make me believe that the writers and producers are pointing a finger at me. I am totally convinced of that in both through choice lines and scenes.  I  got the message loud and clear in both.

(Naturally, the world evolves around me, at least the entertainment world appears to at times.  I now wonder why? hahahahaha)

At least I can laugh at myself as I watch actors do as a former student of mine once told me," it is all psychodrama."

So in this film which is beautifully made, well acted, and full of great respect for its audience, I can safely say I caught the line and loved it, knowing very well that it is an echo of my own line...If it worked in Network so well, I guess it can in A Dangerous Method.  So be it.

The movie exposed a lot to me. I was half in love with my psychology prof at Kent State too, and as most young girls do, had silly fantasies and dreams until I had one too many classes with him.  I then realized how silly and foolish I had been and got over it quickly, but in this film, the patient and the doctor both listen well to  their hearts and get involved despite all the professionalism each knows is required for their profession.  The friendship which they enjoyed is the cause of the conflict between Freud and Jung, despite other obvious differences in attitudes about launching outward in the field of psychiatry.  Freud in this film is a bit of a realist but also is more easily threatened than the adventurous Jung.  Very intriguing presentation of the way psychiatry was practiced in the early 1900's.  Has any progress been made since?

Most patients fall in love with their doctors.  Truly, it is astounding to learn that Jung and his patient whose needs are teriffic did enjoy an affair which cost him the friendship of Sigmund Freud.  The movie does not end happily ever after, but it does solve some problems for those who may need some counseling regarding their own pentup suppressions and repressions.  In the end, the patient marries and has children of her own, but unfortunately was killed in World War II.  Freud died in 1939, and Jung died in 1961.  Jung did have another mistress after his first affair as well as his wife.  He suffered a nervous breakdown during WWI but came back to advance his career to make breakthroughs that brought him to the forefront in his profession.  The movie emphasized the fact that most members of the psychiatry family were Jewish.  The patient is Jewish, and that is why she lost her life at the hand of the Nazis.  She had been widowed with two children but was apparently shot.

There is some discussion of Aryan race in this film as there was in I Served The English King.  It does help to explain why it was that the Jews as a separate race were fixated upon by Adolph Hitler.  I, for one, cannot yet understand why it is that a group of religious followers like the Jews could have ever been a threat to the Aryan race since Jews are notoriously famous for being family oriented and exclusive to themselves as well. It is important to understand that these two movies do not hesitate to dwell upon the Jews.

What that has to do with me?  I have had lifelong work relationships with Jews as like the "shrimp" in the Czech movie I worked in a Jewish country club which was designed only for millionaires. I had an empathy with him for his work as a waiter as I had been a server who had served Forest Tucker, a movie actor, at that club.  I think that may have prompted this A Dog Called Bimbo type movie.

I worked with Jewish women at the May Company in the Miracle Mile in Los Angeles one Christmas season.  That was where I ran into a star of the t.v. show Hazel, Don DeFore.

I had many Jewish professors and teachers in many different schools and classrooms.  Frankly, I do not know why anyone would ever victimize a group of people who keep to themselves.  So it remains a mystery what prompted Adolph Hitler who was bringing the German people out of destitute living and depression to a full economy.  I guess nobody will ever know.  Frankly, I do think that Hitler was a great artist, but his desire to attain his goal was thrwarted so that some think that may have been the reason for his choice of victims.

Did I identify with the waiter in I Served the English King? Yes, of course since his name is Jan.HIs last name means child.  He often gets by with things as if he had been a child.  I once upon a time had to shop in children's clothing to get clothes to fit me. I wore a raincoat that was clearly made for a child.  So I got the picture immediately...he looks a cross between Ellen DeGeneres and David Spade to me, but I saw through the entire film...It is a fantasy and made me laugh.

The Freudian thing made me think of a time when I was called Young.

I did not identify with anyone in the movie until she gave him her answer for why she could enter the film of psychiatry since I have always maintained that about psychiatrists as I do school teachers also.

You have to be crazy...(insane)!  Then I laughed, and remembered that a bath is a form of torture, and they used bathtubs enough times to see the torture!

It is a good movie...Following me everywhere does at least produce decent films on very rare occasions...thanks this time for making me feel proud!