Pi

Darren Aronofsky, USA 1997, 84 mins

"When I was little my mother told me not to stare into the sun, so when I was six I did."

Underneath it all, beneath the fluffy layers of humanity, inside of the physical world, everything runs on the rails of mathematics. Maximillian Cohen intends to find out just what makes the world tick, to solve the endless equation of the human mind and hence predict the future, in particular the stock market. With a home made supercomputer and the wise tuition of his Go playing math lecturer, Max sees patterns everywhere in nature as he slowly descends into madness and enlightenment.

The plot ropes in Jewish Cabalist theories, corporate greed and the terrifying determination of a man who is brilliant to the point of psychological breakdown. Sean Gullette manages to capture the math geek loner perfectly (Russell Crowe need not apply) and Mark Margolis is perfect as his concerned mentor Sol, trying to make him tread carefully and keep him in the real world. It raises points about the nature of the universe, and the philosophy of mathematics which, whilst probably annoying math purists, are interesting without being confusing.

As Darren Aronofsky's first feature film, Pi showed us just what he was capable of as writer and director, all of the trademark visual styles, like the Snorri-Cam and the super fast cuts are here and used to portray Max's insular world. It can be an uncomfortable film to watch, the soundtrack is filled with bursts of noise and harsh electronica (composed by Clint Mansell of Pop Will Eat Itself), and the fast cuts and grainy black and white film sometimes make you yearn for aspirin. But the fascinatingly original script, and excellent acting of Sean Gullette make it all worth while, carrying the story along like an organic mathematical nightmare.

Review by George Williamson
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2003

There can't be very many movies about mathematicians. There can be even fewer good movies about mathematicians, and the number that have been feted at Sundance must surely number, well, one. And that movie would be Pi.

First time writer/director Darren Aronofsky has crafted an unusual and compelling tale. Max Cohen (Sean Gullette) is a reclusive maths genius, convinced that there is a key to everything. He sees patterns in nature, patterns in the chaos, in the way the stock market fluctuates. And he needs to find this key, it drives him. As he hides behind the fortified door of his apartment, tinkering with his custom built computers, searching for this elusive key he sees nobody and trusts no-one. The only contact he has is with his old teacher, with whom he plays Go, and discusses his pursuit.

But as Max becomes more and more obsessed with his goal, even his old teacher thinks he's becoming unhinged, and tells him to back off. And then there's the people from the Wall Street analysis firm, who think that Max might be onto something, and they're very keen on finding out what the key to the stock market is as well...

As well as eschewing a conventional storyline for Pi, Aronofsky has given the film a very different look. With cinematography by Matthew Libatique, the film is shot in grainy, super-high contrast black and white, which, along with the disjointed camera angles, combines to make a film that's as visually interesting as it is unusual. So, while it may be a film about maths, it's very much a film you should go and see.

Review by Jonathan M. Caryl
Taken from EUFS Programe Autumn 1999