Based on a play with the same name, this 2005 film starts of with Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow) attempting to get over her father's (Anthony Hopkins) death. Her father, Robert was a great mathematician who had declined into insanity in his older days. Robert's student, Harold (Jake Gyllenhaal) frequently goes through Robert's notebooks, hoping to find a mathematical breakthrough. Catherine's sister, Claire (Hope Davis) visits Catherine, hoping to free Catherine from her depressing state by taking her to New York.
Halfway into the film, Harold finds a notebook in Catherine's house, with a groundbreaking mathematical proof about prime numbers. Suddenly a plot twist is revealed-- Catherine claimed to have written that proof.
Four who ye frightful
The story centres between the four characters of the story, and their approaches to truth claims. Let's explore them in detail:
Claire
Catherine's sister, Claire is one of the most straightforward characters of the film. She is almost as frustrating as the ultimate sceptic. She seems to cast doubt in everything Catherine says, including the existence of Harold. Even when Harold was presented, she still refuses to change her behaviour to Catherine.
When Catherine claimed the mathematical proof is hers, Claire expectedly doubts her sister straight away, insisting the handwriting is her father's (even though Claire is not a handwriting expert). When challenged on what would convince her, she laid down an unreasonable demand-- Catherine must recall the proof from her mind.
Naturally Catherine protested, as the proof is forty pages long. Claire's scepticism even goes as far to suggest that in an effort emulate their father, Catherine had deluded herself.
Harold
Despite knowing the brutal honesty of Catherine's nature, Harold initially doubts Catherine's claims, and is indecisive on taking a stand. When Catherine offers to explain the proof to Harold, he is insists that it would changed nothing-- Robert could have written the proof and explained the proof to Catherine first.
Unlike Catherine's sister, Harold is determined to work on the evidence that he has rather than demand unrealistic ones. After consulting several of his peers, he comes to the conclusion that Catherine was the author (based on writing style and the mathematical techniques used).
Catherine
Catherine's approach to the proof is the most personal, yet the most fragile of all. She knows she wrote it. However, under the pressure from Harold and Claire, her faith in her knowledge crumbles. Pushed beyond her breaking point, she broke down and sobbed, confessing that she was not the author from the proof. Even when presented with the evidence by Harold, she rebuffed him, stating that evidence themselves do not "prove anything".
Robert
The father of both Catherine and Claire, Robert suffered from the worst approach to truth. He is unable to discern reality, and as Catherine shared at the funeral, he would write "19-20 hours a day", thinking he was producing eloquent mathematical proofs. However, he was simply scribbling nonsense (such as "as the number of students approach infinity, the number of months approaches 4").Worse still, his insanity seemed to take a toll on Catherine, whom Claire assumes she inherited her mental state from.
My interpretation
Like other works I reviewed, I felt this film is very applicable (probably unintended by the filmmakers) to the Christian worldview.
Lessons for non-believers
The film portrays two types of sceptics-- one honest and another ignorant. The ignorant one (Claire) is happy to make a conclusion before examining the evidence and even putting unrealistic demands with the available evidence.
The honest one (Harold) is willingly to prove/disprove Catherine's claims logically and with expert opinion. And he was the one to come up with the truth. He did not allow his doubts to hinder his search for the truth.
Lessons for the Christians
Despite knowing the truth, Claire crumbles under pressure. Eventually, Harold vindicates her. Similarly as Christians, we should not be afraid to exposing the Gospel to scrutiny. After all, Jesus said he is the 'truth, way and life'.
However some Christians can be so caught in a world of their own like Robert, that they not only fail to become relevant, but unable to discern truth from falsehood.
Conclusion
I really like the film, and I give it 75/100. I was a little disappointed that the film only picks up halfway through, and that some scenes (such as the sex scene) were unnecessary.
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