I didn’t do well in my college psychology class, so I don’t know the real history involving psychoanalysis and its early progenitors, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, et al. David Cronenberg has made A Dangerous Method, which depicts how Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Jung (Michael Fassbender) were brought together for a time before their differences became too much for either man to overcome.  Between them is a woman, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), whom the psychiatrists help as a patient and, later, a protégé.

The film functions as a character study of the trio, and also as an idea factory, wherein the origins of an entire scientific school of thought are molded by minds eager to define the parameters of human behavior.  Psychological terms and meanings and their ramifications are bandied about rapidly and expressively; I would be lying if I stated it was easy to keep up with all of it.  However, this aspect of the story was consistently interesting and engaging, even when details were sketchy.

More interesting, I think, are the characters and the performances which bring them to life.  Michael Fassbender (who, with X-Men: First Class, Jane Eyre and Shame also under his belt in 2011, may be the actor of the year) is outstanding as Jung, quietly polished and refined, forever searching for the innermost secrets of humanity.  Less effective is Viggo Mortensen as Freud, partly because he is always, and I mean always, seen smoking half-finished cigars.  And then there is Keira Knightley as Sabina Spielrein.  Evidently there is a great debate as to Knightley’s effectiveness in the role, but not from this quarter; I think she is fabulous.  To my mind, Knightley has never been better, astoundingly physically troubled when the story begins, with gradual improvement as Jung’s “talking cure” works wonders with her troubled mind. It is also a brave performance, with aspects involving humiliation and, in particular, spanking, that will no doubt follow the actress for years.

David Cronenberg’s films are typically smart, sexually-charged, often violent explorations of human psychology; except for a rather welcome absence of violence, A Dangerous Method certainly follows his traditional pattern.  It isn’t as cinematic as most of his work, which may be because it is based on a Christopher Hampton play (and John Kerr book), yet it seems more worthwhile than some of his wilder previous movies.  It is a very fine film, one I look forward to seeing again, when I can try to absorb even more of its history and meaning.  ✰ ✰ ✰ ½.  4 Jan. 2012.