The Professor and the Madman
In 19th-century England, the monumental task of compiling the Oxford English Dictionary unexpectedly finds its most prolific contributor within the walls of a criminal lunatic asylum. The film unveils the unlikely collaboration between Professor James Murray, driven to define a nation’s language, and Dr. William Minor, a brilliant but tormented American Civil War surgeon battling severe schizophrenia. Beyond a historical account, the narrative explores the fragile nature of sanity and the shared human need for connection and purpose, revealing how intellectual pursuit can offer both solace and exacerbate inner turmoil. It’s a contemplative study of two men grappling with personal demons – one striving for order within words, the other desperately seeking order within his mind – and the unconventional, ethically complex bond that forms as they redefine both the dictionary and each other. The film presents a nuanced portrayal of mental illness with surprising empathy, resisting sensationalism in favor of a poignant exploration of a mind fractured by trauma, seeking redemption through language.
Rolprentbesonderhede
- Regisseur
- Farhad Safinia
- Vrystellingsdatum
- 2019-03-07
- Looptyd
- 124 min
- Gradering
- 7.1 / 10 (1294)
