"A Dangerous Method"

By: Vickie J. Rubinson

"A Dangerous Method" is an upcoming historical film directed by David Cronenberg and starring Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley and Vincent Cassel.

Set on the eve of World War I, "A Dangerous Method" is based on the turbulent relationships between fledgling psychiatrist Carl Jung and his mentor Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein, the troubled but beautiful young woman who comes between them.

Christoph Waltz was initially cast as Sigmund Freud but was replaced by Viggo Mortensen due to a scheduling conflict. Filming began in 2010 in Vienna, Zurich, Cologne and Berlin.

The movie hinges on an unorthodox experiment Jung undertook with Sabina Spielrein, a Russian Jewish woman whom he treated for hysteria and who later became a significant psychoanalyst in her own right.

Precision defines every aspect of the production, from the immaculate lensing and editing to the production design, which fastidiously re-creates everything from the specific minutiae of Freud's office to the intricate instruments Jung uses during a word-association experiment. Scenic shots of Vienna and Germany's Lake Constance add further luster to the film's look.

Universal Pictures will release the film in German-speaking territories while Lionsgate took rights to the United Kingdom. The film is scheduled for a European release in November 2011 after its world premiere at the 68th Venice Film Festival. It made its U.S. premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado on Labor Day Weekend.