John Nash, the primary character is played by Russell Crowe in Ron Howard's non-fictional 2001 account of “A Beautiful Mind.” Nash suffers with a disorder called schizophrenia, which makes him see and interact with people that only he can see, because they are fabrications of his imagination. Nash faces a problem, yet he is able to overcome his difficulties and even wins the Nobel Prize! The awe-inspiring message of this film is that people can get better, and they often do.
Nash attended Princeton University in the 1940s. A member of the Department of Defense, Parcher appoints him to scanning major U.S. periodicals to look for coded messages from the Russians hidden in the articles. Nash works 24 hours a day, reading and rereading publications such as "The New York Times" until he marks up thousands of clippings and post them all around his home and office. Nash is involved in a secret mission. Parcher warns him not to tell of his work to anyone -- not even his wife. But when his wife does discover his work, things take a mind-bending turn. Nash is ultimately diagnosed with incurable schizophrenia and finally decides to confront his demons--no matter how hard this may be. This movie draws us into the perspective of Nash, so we, like him, believe the illusions he sees. Because we see things from his perspective, we empathize with him and learn to have compassion on people who have this disease. It was nice to see a healthy marriage for once in a film. There is an overtone of eastern philosophy in the film, which allows the viewer to believe that all power to overcome is from within.
People with psychological disorders are treated in society very poorly. People do not understand mental illness, therefore are frightened for what they do not know. Often times, people with psychological disorders experience stigmas, prejudices, and discrimination because they tend to be different. Most illnesses nowadays can be managed with medication, and the person who is diagnosed can live a fairly normal life if given half a chance. “A Beautiful Mind” is truly a masterpiece. It provides truth that people CAN and often DO get better. This film is truly a gift and has my vote with 5 gold stars.
Work Cited
Work Cited
Howard, Ron. “A Beautiful Mind.” 2001
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