If I ever make a list of underrated movies I have watched, ‘When Nietzsche wept’ would definitely be one in the list.
The way the movie is mostly revolved around Nietzsche played by Armand Assande and physician Dr Josef Breuer (Ben Cross). Nietzsche is treated for his ailments pertaining to headaches by the Dr Josef Breuer but as the movie progresses, Nietzsche helps Dr Josef Breuer treat his mental psyche. The plot for the movie is very simple yet it delves into the complexity of human emotions.
The character of Sigmund Freud seemed to be a little bit odd in the movie. But the acting of Armand Assande and Ben Cross were really good. Armand Assande resemblance to Nietzsche was uncanny. The music was good but the CGI was very underwhelming and bad on every part, But the way the movie unfolds and the story goes on I felt it should not have received the bad reviews from most people.
While the movie is not historically accurate, The movie is made wonderfully well except for the CGI which was underwhelming (especially the scenes where Dr Josef Breuer falls down a hole)
The movie touches some parts relating to lust and in it Nietzsche says one must be above it and lust should never stop a man from crafting himself to his true potential.
Nietzsche: He’s looking into the horror of his existence. He is encountering times, devout angels… but he sees too much. His insignificance, this mere little speck. There he is. And now his fear becomes so raw that he welcomes lust into his mind. And he stops looking into this chasm, and he begins to spend his time recollecting these miracles as how this little crippled person moves her legs, her lips, and her arms, and her breasts. And his mind, which was built for the noblest of ideas, becomes clogged now, with trash.
The movie also revolves around the idea of living the full potential a human life can offer and it is perfectly encapsulated by Nietzsche in the movie (to his doctor Josef Breuer) –
“This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence”
For me the key takeaway from the movie is the one quoted above earlier, which in short is to live life the best possible way, That even if the same life is replayed again and again for all of eternity It should never make you regret– we should strive to live life in the most beautiful and fullest way possible.
