Because
of: sexual implications, thematic elements
Rated:
Have
you ever wondered where the term “mesmerized” comes
from? Its original meaning is derived from the name of
Fraz Anton Mesmer, an 18th century physician, hypnotist,
and self-promoter able to “mesmerize” his patients
through animal magnetism. Often the doctors of the time
chose bleeding as the cure for everything from fevers to
epileptic fits. Mesmer (Alan Rickman) loathed the practice and introduced
his own means of medicine. He believed the body could be
brought into harmony with nature by removing the bad aura
and replacing it with the good. After
curing his cousin Francesca (Anna Thalbach) of epileptic fits
through this practice, Mesmer is introduced to his next
patient at a music recital. The traumatized blind pianist
(Amanda Ooms) suffers a mental breakdown after loosing her place in the
piece. Her doctors can think of no other remedy but
bleeding, to which Mesmer heartily protests.
He insists on
being allowed to calm the girl without medical assistance
but the use of his hands and voice. At first his
gentle intervention has no influence over the flailing and
screaming aristocrat, but eventually she becomes subdued
and “mesmerized” by his presence. Maria’s
doctors forbid her from seeing him again as a patient, but
the girl is determined to know more. His comforting voice
and gentle hands have offered her the reassurance no man
has. All her life doctors have inflicted pain in an
attempt to heal, and the men in the household have used her
abominably. Through means of blackmail, she is allowed to
spend an hour each day with Mesmer, who is convinced her
sight is an emotional loss rather than a physical one. As
he works to restore her eyesight, he finds his growing
obsession to cure her to be all-consuming. He has failed
in many respects with other patients; able to relieve
their symptoms for a time, inevitably the illness returns.
To complicate the situation, his scheming, disdainful wife
has growing concerns her husband may be having an affair
with his beautiful patient, and conspires to evict
him from the house. Challenged
by all traditional means of medicine, kept at odds with a
mercenary older wife, and daunted by past
failures, Mesmer must come to grips with the fact he is human and complete harmony is not within his power. The
film both takes seriously new age therapeutic methods and
rebuffs them. The story is not in essence about Mesmer’s
way of healing, but rather the man himself. Mesmer
is an enthralling psychological study of man’s desire to
have control over the incontrollable. The force that
drives him is his desire to ‘crawl above the dirt of the
world’ and reach perfect harmony. As Christians, we know
our fate is held in the hands which sculpted the universe.
It's infinitely sad to watch Mesmer search for a “miracle
cure,” when we know none exists. Only God controls the
fate of His children; not mankind.
We
shudder at some of Mesmer's self-promotion yet feel
sorry for him when humiliated. We smirk as he leads an
entire roomful of aristocrats into foolish shenanigans
purely to make a show of them. His ironic sense of humor
and piety makes for an interesting blend. The one trait
which makes him likable is that he seeks to protect the
women around him. There is a true purity in his
relationship with Maria, and his afflicted cousin’s
admiration for him is touching. It is to Mesmer that
she goes for comfort and security, knowing he alone will
never take advantage of her. Although
the film is not rated, it would have received a
PG13 release due to some of the themes addressed. The
content itself doesn’t warrant more than a PG but the
topics handled are adult in nature. Maria’s father has
been sexually abusing her since childhood. The director
chose in good taste to refrain from showing us any
activity, but we are witness to a revolting scene in which
the father gropes her. Mesmer’s
stepson attempts to take advantage of his cousin Francesca
by forcing her onto the bed.
It could also be argued
there is an erotic element in Mesmer’s tactics. Many
will find his magnetic touch inappropriate, as it consists
of laying the hands on the girl’s neck and drawing them
down across her breasts to her waist. He uses it only in
the most extreme circumstances. Some of the ‘healing’
ceremonies result in pandemonium as women faint and
scream. A crowd turns rabid at one point and turn on the
doctor. There is some violence (mainly people being thrown
to the ground, and two girls having epileptic fits) and
one instance of bleeding for medical purposes. By
in large the best thing about Mesmer is the performance
by Alan Rickman. His languid, deep tones offer a soothing
comfort to his patients while his features are able to
transform in an in instant from compassion to fury. The
look which often comes over his face is incredibly
profound; a literal wiping away of the pain to produce a
confident smile. Overall the movie has a lot of flaws, and
is far too dark and sexually oriented for many. But Alan
Rickman, as always, is mesmerizing.
To complicate the situation, his scheming, disdainful wife
has growing concerns her husband may be having an affair
with his beautiful patient, and conspires to evict
him from the house. Challenged
by all traditional means of medicine, kept at odds with a
mercenary older wife, and daunted by past
failures, Mesmer must come to grips with the fact he is human and complete harmony is not within his power. The
film both takes seriously new age therapeutic methods and
rebuffs them. The story is not in essence about Mesmer’s
way of healing, but rather the man himself. Mesmer
is an enthralling psychological study of man’s desire to
have control over the incontrollable. The force that
drives him is his desire to ‘crawl above the dirt of the
world’ and reach perfect harmony. As Christians, we know
our fate is held in the hands which sculpted the universe.
It's infinitely sad to watch Mesmer search for a “miracle
cure,” when we know none exists. Only God controls the
fate of His children; not mankind. 
It could also be argued
there is an erotic element in Mesmer’s tactics. Many
will find his magnetic touch inappropriate, as it consists
of laying the hands on the girl’s neck and drawing them
down across her breasts to her waist. He uses it only in
the most extreme circumstances. Some of the ‘healing’
ceremonies result in pandemonium as women faint and
scream. A crowd turns rabid at one point and turn on the
doctor. There is some violence (mainly people being thrown
to the ground, and two girls having epileptic fits) and
one instance of bleeding for medical purposes. By
in large the best thing about Mesmer is the performance
by Alan Rickman. His languid, deep tones offer a soothing
comfort to his patients while his features are able to
transform in an in instant from compassion to fury. The
look which often comes over his face is incredibly
profound; a literal wiping away of the pain to produce a
confident smile. Overall the movie has a lot of flaws, and
is far too dark and sexually oriented for many. But Alan
Rickman, as always, is mesmerizing.