Mesmer [DVD] [1994]

I loved this film, Im a huge fan of Alan Rickman and thought he did a great job as the lead character in this film. Mesmer, the originator of the word 'mesmerise' was a very intersting character indeed. I am a clinical hypnotherapistand we looked at his work in some detail during the course of the training that I did... it was a fascinating subject and the film really did it justice. Its not the most glamourous or the most hollywood-y or the most action packed film, but Alan Rickman really captured the frustration and disappointment of Memer as he fought to have his work taken seriously, in an age where radical theries and 'magical' ideas were laughed at and though he had a great mind and seemingly outlandish ideas, these theories are now gaining popularity as we delve further into qantum physics and learn more about how the unicverse works. As far as accuracy to the actual life of Mesmer, this film is fairly true to the story, though obviously with a bit of ramatising thrown in. As a hypnotherapist and smeone who is genuinely interested in this field I found the film to be emotive and thought provking nad I was left wanting more by the end.... even knowing already how the real Mesmer grew old in obscurity... I would recommend this film to anyonewith an interest in hypnosis and mesmerism, fascination and anyone who likes a good period drama, it is exciting and sad, and frustrating and beautiful...

This is a fine effort, and captures Mesmer's life. It should cover in more detail his other antics with trees, seducing on mass 50 women with giant magnets, and how he was expelled from even more cities. As you know, his name coined the term mesmerised.

This film is something of an oddity. In terms of actual plot, it's fair to say that there isn't much of one, but that doesn't seem to matter. It's the rather dark story of Franz Anton Mesmer, a doctor in 18th century Austria who shocked and angered both the medical profession and polite society with his theories about energy and magnetism. Alan Rickman, who is always at his best when playing characters who are slightly contradictory and ambiguous, is excellent in the title role. Dennis Potter's screenplay never really comes to any judgement on Mesmer's abilities or character, leaving the audience to make up their own mind. What is clear throughout is that Mesmer doesn't much care what anybody else thinks of him, and that this alone in polite 18th century society was perhaps enough to turn his peers against him. Ironically, the polite society into which Mesmer's unhappy marriage to a vile widow has elevated him (Mesmer's father was a gamekeeper) conceals an unpleasant underbelly of cruelty and abuse, as is made clear by the relationship between Mesmer's blind patient and her hypocritical father, and by the hard-to-watch scenes in which Mesmer's stepson attempts to rape his mentally ill cousin. Franz Anton Mesmer himself is an intriguing blend of innocence and cunning, a man of genuine visionary spirit but whose vision is ultimately flawed, capable of great sensitivity but also of conceit. The supporting cast are also impressive, although the film does fall into the costume drama trap of extras made up of slightly unconvincing grubby-looking peasants with a range of deformities. There are a couple of scenes which don't quite work for me (hence four stars instead of five), one of which is unfortunately a key scene at the very start of the film. But overall, this is an interesting and, like all Dennis Potter's work, slightly unsettling film with a strong cast and sensitive direction.

I like it

Alan Rickman is sensational in this role, totally out shining his supporting cast members.

Being an avid fan of Alan Rickman, I was bitterly disappointed with this offering. Slow from the start, desperately clinging on to a tenuous, unconvincing storyline. This film trails from one scene to another, crazy wailing and sceptical glances just about sum up the depth of this frustratingly , tiresome film. If you , as I am, are a true fan of Mr Rickman and all of his work... do yourself a huge favour and pass this one by. Not one of his best.

I wonderful and spell binding performance - as usual -by the wonderful Alan Rickman.

I'm big fan of Alan Rickman, but this film is one of the most boring ones I ever watched in my life. The story is supposed to be interesting and Rickman did a great job in playing the complex character of Mesmer... BUT something went wrong.. The plot is dull... the character development is so limited besides the short runtime. Those "group therapy" sessions looked just ridiculous... LOL! I also believe Mesmer should have talked more about his revolutionary theories. I regret purchasing this film...

First, to get some things clear: the boy is Mesmer's stepson and the marriage is propably a business arrangement, as hinted by both Mesmer and his wife. As marriages were in those days. The movie then... Yes, at times Rickman's voice was very hard to hear and the plot seems a bit loose. I admit he's got the most expressive face, eyes, voice and hands in the movie business and for once they were very well portrayed. In fact, the movie seems to rely on them. I was a bit confused, too, what was the point of the movie. Was it a historical piece, romantic story - it even had some comedy, as great tragedies often have. Mesmer seems to fail, although in real life he actually did cure people. And then he said his bit about how much pain there is in the world and how he could not bare not to be able to do anything to relieve it. And there was the point; that's why Dennis Potter, already dying, wrote the script this way. Even the kissing scene, which to many people seems very romantic and sexy, seemed sad to me. As if Mesmer couldn't believe something like that really happens to him. Even the ending made sense, then. This is a man, whose heart is aching to do something good in a world filled with pain and cruelty, selfishness and ignorance, but fails because one man isn't enough. Even the one he cures isn't saved, because the world doesn't understand what he was trying to do, what he was trying to make people see. Dennis Potter's testament, maybe? Oh yes, Rickman was born to wear cloaks (see Snape and Sheriff of Nottingham) and white ruffles around his throat, Amanda Ooms is lovely and the acting and the sceneries are great. And to remind, why Rickman is so great as a villain, he gets to throw the boy down the stairs. Suddenly a burst of energy and passion, making the character even more complicated, more human - because that's what Rickman does at his best: complete, complicated, deeply human characters. It's a very different kind of movie and many may not like it, but it's well worth watching. One gets to see an actor like Rickman far too little, and Dennis Potter was an excellent writer, even if this wasn't his best script. I loved it. It was very different from the super hero and cartoon character movies. We need to be reminded of real humanity and the fragility of people this way, because there seems to be very little room for compassion, pity and understanding in today's world.

Ce film qui date de 1994 illustre bien l'époque dans laquelle Franz Anton Mesmer a pu guérir nombre de patients par le magnétisme animal, ancêtre de l'hypnose. Une séance d'hypnose collective utilisant les fameux "baquets" est très bien rendue. On peut un peu regretter que le film ait ramené la relation entre Mesmer et Marie Thérèse Paradies, sa célèbre patiente, à une Romance . Ceci étant dit Alan Rickman joue très bien le rôle de Mesmer et Amande Ooms est une Marie Thérèse Paradies de toute beauté. Attention, le film est en anglais sans sous titre. Le DVD, acheté d'occasion, est dans un état impeccable.

This film is a biography about Mesmer. For Alan Rickman's fans it must be seen, he is as always incredible.

I have read other review on this board regarding this movie, and I saw a common theme of person's saying that the film was a bit hard to follow, even thought they liked it as a whole. I did not find the story difficult, but I did do some research prior to watching it. I did some reference work through my university, but also on something as accessible as wikipedia. If you look there, it gives you a lucid, coherent outline of Mesmer and his research, aw well as his methods of practice. If you gain a little background , then this movie flows beautifully! I found this movie to be amazingly filmed, and the acting, especially by Rickman was superb. I cannot think of another actor who can draw your attention and hold it without even having to speak, and then when he does, there is no other voice like it - silky, melodic, and can touch your very soul. Rickman himself is 'mesmerizing.' The sets and scenes shot for this film are breathtaking, and I believe that this film will captivate anyone who is fascinated in the rise of reason that was taking place in Europe during the 1600s-1700s. What you begin to realize is that Mesmer had truly discovered the power of magnetism, and its potential healing properties on the body. Sadly, this radicalism of thought was in its infancy, and therefore ultimately led to his undoing in a time of bloodletting. This film helps the viewer to see that despite the Enlightenment, there was still a profoundly medieval consensus of thought running through the scientific and medical worlds. The men who spoke of superstition and foolhardy practices being rooted out of their practice could not let go of antiquated harmful treatments themselves. They called Mesmer a charlatan and a fraud because his form of treatment was so unconventional and "perverse" to them, and yet when you see the forms of treatment that the conventional physicans were using at the time, you see the absurdity of their accusations. I highly reccommend this film. It is beautiful, it is wonderfully acted, and touching. It is also a profoundly enjoyable film that can be watched again and again. I do reccommend though, that you do a bit of research to acquaint yourself with Mesmer. This will help put the film into perspective. It will also make you realize and appreciate what an amazing job Alan Rickman did in portraying this man!

アランのファンなら買っとけというところか？アランのくどい演技が処々にちりばめられている。ラスプーチンに匹敵するハマリ役でしょう。ただ、アランの声がベルベット過ぎて何いってるのかいま一つわからない。バイリンガルの友達と見るべし。