John, Alicia and Schizophrenia. Review on A Beautiful Mind Movie

According to scientists, the most complex and yet most fascinating thing in the world, other than life of course, is the human brain. Scientists across the world are amazed at the magical properties exhibited by this grayish mass of slimy tissue that is the seat of passion, emotion, logic and intelligence and drives a mass much more in abundance and stronger than it’s own self. Till date our knowledge about this seat of real power remains negligible except for the universal fact that our existence is a derivative of this small organ called the ‘brain’.

But what if the brain that decides and gives you the feeling of existence, itself, negates this feeling…. What if your brain plays games with you and makes you think of yourself as something distinct from yourself? What if your brain is no longer able to distinguish between you as a real human being and as an imaginary illusion of your mind? What if the lines of demarcation between the real and the unreal get blurred? The above scenarios seem frightening but they are actually the precursor of a deadly malfunctioning of the human brain… We call the condition – Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is an ailment of the human mind…. How and why it affects and what maybe the results of it’s attack are beyond the scope of my current review but allow me to state that the sufferings of a schizophrenic mind are not delusionary, although they may seem so … they are real… only their world sometimes turns unreal…

Many movies have tried to depict Schizophrenia the world over… but few have succeeded in portraying the picture as deeply and as brilliantly as ‘A Beautiful Mind’. This is a movie about a man called John Nash.

Before going further, let me introduce you to Mr. John Nash.

John Nash is a Nobel Laureate who was awarded a Nobel Prize for his work on ‘Game Theory’ in 1994 – something that has implications from Genetics to Quantum Mechanics, from Stock Markets to Political Alliances, from sports to terrorism… He is also a Schizophrenic…. This is his story.

A Beautiful Mind is a movie that is more like life…. it works at many different levels. On one level it’s the true-life saga of the life, work and times of the brilliant John Nash. On another level, it’s the story of the struggle of a man against his most powerful enemy - his own mind and his triumph over the contrarian mind on account of his will power and strong determination. On yet another level the movie is an account of the fierce devotion of his wife, Alicia who refuses to let her husband’s handicap come between them and their life together. In a subdued tone, the film also explores the yearnings of Nash to be accepted as an equal by his peers and his contemporaries.

Russell Crowe manages to surprise me everytime I watch him perform. His performance is absolutely endearing and will go a long way in presenting the human face of schizophrenia to the ‘normal’ world. Considering the fact that the actor was portraying a famous, living personality, it was very important for him to ensure that his mannerisms are an exact replica of the man but at the same time not to over-exaggerate it. Russell manages to depict him in the best manner possible and in the process creates one of the best performances seen in Hollywood in recent times. His frustration with his own self, his slow fall into the orbits of his own demons and then the triumphant redemption all are so marvelously portrayed that by the time he gets up to deliver a speech on eve of his Nobel prize, you have nothing but deep empathy and tears for him. There is this interesting scene in the movie - Nash is shown walking in the college premises and a student mimics him by imitating his walk. The way in which he responds by just looking back and then continues walking is mind-blowing. Also look at his expression on his face when Alicia tries to prove to him that his delusion is unreal and the way he tries to test the hypothesis by bleeding his hand for the elusive mark as portrayed by his schizophrenic mind.

Jennifer Connelly also impresses with a heart-felt rendition of the complex role of Alicia. As a woman completely in love with Nash and as a wife inundated by suffering due to her husband’s chaotic conditions the actress is brilliant. The actress shows a very high sense of confidence in her own self and has managed to portray the growth of her character from a young flirtatious student to an embattled wife and finally to the woman who has won a battle against all odds. They say love is not all about loving… What better tribute to that statement than her performance as Alicia Nash!

Paul Bettany is brilliant as Charles, Nash’ friend from his days at the Princeton University. In both of his avatars as the real Charles and the one in Nash’s mind, the guy gives an impressive performance. Ed Harris and Christopher Plummer are brilliant in supporting roles.

Director Ron Howard is at his best in this film that many contend to be one of the best adaptations of a novel ever. Considering the fact that the director had to make a biopic on a living science legend and that too on the basis of a best-seller book of the same name, the task was as daunting as can be but the director has managed to stand true to the book and the person and weave a tale of such complexity and yet simplicity that one is bound to be touched by the film. Indeed a brilliant film from one of the best in the movie-making industry today.

One more thing worth noting in this movie is the script – written magnificently by Akiva Goldsman. It’s to the credit of the script, which captures things of mundane interest and converts them into interesting objects…that the spirit of schizophrenia has been captured without demonizing it.

To put it succinctly, the film is a celebration of human spirit over human mind, self-motivation over destiny, faith over trials and tribulations, love over suffering and conjugal fidelity over temptations of the flesh and of course a celebration of the fact that human will can defeat even the human brain!