It's been several years since Ron Howard released the film "A Beautiful Mind" based on Sylvia Nasar's biography of the same name.

Some viewers found the film superficial and not a faithful, complete representation of Nash's life. It is highly fictionalilzed A few readers found the book a little inaccessible with its detail and its extensive footnoting and documentation.

"A Brilliant Madness" allows viewers to examine the life of John Nash with the accessibility of the movie and the credibility of the book.

The format centers on a succession of illustrated narrations illustrated by both video and still photos.

The video starts with the early boyhood of Nash and chronicles his life to the point where he receives the Nobel Prize. It includes footage narrated by Nash himself, his wife, his sister, fellow mathematicians, and biographer Nasar. It shows both his achievements and his illness. It includes large blocks of his life that the movie leaves out.

I can understand why a feature-type movie could not accurately and completely document a life as complex and multi-faceted as Nash's. It would have to develop too many characters, explain too many complex mathematical formulas, and go in too many directions. The movie does a good job of showing who he is through the art of the film.

The book, on the other hand, goes into much more detail and is very good for a reader who wants to commit some effort to understanding both Nash's accomplishments and his illness. It is very thorough and remarkably accessible for such a thorough treatment.

This documentary serves well the person who saw the film and is looking for a more complete and accurate portrayal of Nash's life. It is faithful to history and quite clear. It lacks, however, the action and some of the human interest of "A Beautiful Mind." Much of the story is told rather than shown.

It allows the reader to get the gist of Nash's life in a relatively short time without hundreds of pages and more than a thousand footnotes.

Those with a special interest in Nash's life, mental illness, or game theory can then go onto Sylvia Nasar's book for an extremely detailed and sensitive treatment of all aspects of Nash's life.

"A Brilliant Madness," however does a fine job of presenting a credible introduction to Nash's life and work in a relatively short time. Viewers whose interest is peaked can then seek out the book "A Beautiful Mind"


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older