Pi (1998)

With the recent theatrical release of A Beautiful Mind, I thought it would be a good idea to go back and take a look at another tale of a mathematical genius tortured by his own mind and obsessions. Specifically, I sought out Pi, the independent film by writer/director Darren Aronofsky, and was not the least bit disappointed.

Pi is the story of Max Cohen and his quest to find mathematical patterns throughout the world, and especially in the stock market. He is convinced there is order behind the chaos, and his life is utterly consumed by this search. Cohen isolates himself in his apartment for days at a time, accompanied only by his mainframe computer "Euclid", the insects that infest the building, and massive mind-bending headaches. He emerges only to seek the wisdom of his former teacher Sol, or to read the paper at a nearby coffee shop and confirm the predictions made by his computer, all the while taking great pains to avoid any other human contact. Eventually, however, a Jewish mystic and a representive of a number-theory thinktank force themselves into Cohen's life and provide the final clues he needs to unravel the secrets of the universe.

Now, I haven't yet seen A Beautiful Mind so I don't want to unfairly prejudge it, but I have a feeling that it couldn't possibly be as edgy and mindblowingly thought-provoking as Pi. This is a tremendous film. First, the cinematography is excellent. The movie is filmed in black and white, with superb editing and sound that really immerse the viewer in Cohen's tortured mind. We really feel his paranoia and isolation, and share in his sense that enlightenment is just around the corner. What really made me love this movie, though, actually took several hours to sink in. The way that Aronofsky weaves a connection between mathematics, God, economics, the Hebrew language, and the Japanese game "Go" is simply amazing. Without giving away any important plot details, I can't even begin to discuss the numerous ways that I've been thinking about this movie for the last 12 hours. Suffice it to say, one can take the ideas and themes presented and run with them in any number of philosophically intriguing directions.

If you're looking for a creative movie that you can become completely immersed in, and come away with enough ideas to leave you thinking for days, I highly recommend ordering up a serving of Pi.