Beautiful Mind Analysis
RELATED TEXT #1 – FILM – A BEAUTIFUL MIND
“A Beautiful Mind”, directed by Ron Howard, is centred on the life of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who was proclaimed a genius, but was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the peak of his career. His affliction with this disease isolated him from the rest of society, who ostracised him and openly mocked him wherever he went. The only places he may have truly belonged were with his wife Alicia, and teaching mathematics at universities. This is depicted through the use of film techniques such as close-ups and characterisation.
The characterisation of John Nash can first be seen at the beginning of the film, where he is cast as an arrogant genius, determined to be recognised for his intelligence. Through his intense yearning to succeed, he has alienated himself from his classmates and enclosed himself into a square box, with limited inspiration for an original idea for his theory. It is only when he finally socialises with some of his classmates that he is able to reach that goal. The theme of belonging is expressed through Nash’s isolation, emphasising that he does not belong amongst his classmates. However, when he allows himself to socialise, he is able to produce an idea. This tells us that belonging can have both positive and negative impacts, in that his need to succeed drives him to not belong, but when he socialises and finally does belong with his classmates, he is able to produce the basis of this theory.
Close up shots of newspaper articles scattered all over Nash’s office reveals that he is lonely and lacking in social skills. Once again, the sense that Nash does not belong is emphasised through the circled letters and numbers, spelled out in supposed code. This indicates that Nash has too much time on his hands, and while he could be spending time with his wife or his friends, he prefers to spend it in his office, dissecting newspaper clippings for coded messages. The close up shots of Nash
“A Beautiful Mind”, directed by Ron Howard, is centred on the life of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who was proclaimed a genius, but was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the peak of his career. His affliction with this disease isolated him from the rest of society, who ostracised him and openly mocked him wherever he went. The only places he may have truly belonged were with his wife Alicia, and teaching mathematics at universities. This is depicted through the use of film techniques such as close-ups and characterisation.
The characterisation of John Nash can first be seen at the beginning of the film, where he is cast as an arrogant genius, determined to be recognised for his intelligence. Through his intense yearning to succeed, he has alienated himself from his classmates and enclosed himself into a square box, with limited inspiration for an original idea for his theory. It is only when he finally socialises with some of his classmates that he is able to reach that goal. The theme of belonging is expressed through Nash’s isolation, emphasising that he does not belong amongst his classmates. However, when he allows himself to socialise, he is able to produce an idea. This tells us that belonging can have both positive and negative impacts, in that his need to succeed drives him to not belong, but when he socialises and finally does belong with his classmates, he is able to produce the basis of this theory.
Close up shots of newspaper articles scattered all over Nash’s office reveals that he is lonely and lacking in social skills. Once again, the sense that Nash does not belong is emphasised through the circled letters and numbers, spelled out in supposed code. This indicates that Nash has too much time on his hands, and while he could be spending time with his wife or his friends, he prefers to spend it in his office, dissecting newspaper clippings for coded messages. The close up shots of Nash