Freud

This film (drama)Also known asFreud，is aUSAProducerwomen sex，At1962Released in year 。The dialogue language isEnglish，Current Douban rating7.9(For reference only)。

Recently, a film script manuscript was discovered in Sartre's posthumous writings. This is the second-rate film "Freud," directed by Hollywood's John Huston, starring Montgomery Clift, and written by Sartre in 1958. Fortunately, this manuscript was not destroyed by Sartre due to the film's lack of success. Now, people can further understand Sartre's specific views on Freud through this screenplay, especially since his name as the writer was not credited at the time of the film's release, leaving many unaware of his authorship. Sartre did not want people to know that he wrote it for a specific reason: in 1958, John Huston approached Sartre to ask him to write a film script about Freud. Sartre agreed and initially produced a printed outline of ninety-five pages. After reviewing it, Huston was satisfied and asked him to continue writing the screenplay. However, the script was too long; if filmed as is, it might result in a seven-hour movie, which most audiences without strict intellectual training would not endure. The first draft did not pass, and Huston requested revisions. However, the revised version remained lengthy. Huston asked him to modify it again, but Sartre firmly refused. Eventually, as filming approached, Sartre had no choice but to revise once more, only requesting that his name not be credited upon release. This raises questions, particularly why Huston initially sought Sartre to write about Freud. He knew that Sartre was famously indifferent to Freud and his theories, and did not even accept the notion of the unconscious, believing at least that the concept was inaccurate. Sartre had proposed his own version of existentialist psychoanalysis to supplement and transform Freud's theories. While Sartre had written several screenplays that made it to the screen, his scripts, when adapted into films, could easily turn into lengthy philosophical monologues that general audiences found hard to digest. However, Huston still wanted him, and surprisingly, Sartre agreed. Although Sartre was not fond of Freud, in fairness, this screenplay, while not flattering to Freud, did not exhibit overt hostility. Sartre dedicated significant effort to both of the main scenes. The first scene explores Freud's exploration of the purpose and methods of psychoanalysis during the first ten years of his career. During this period, Freud established— or rather discovered—his clear goal of trying to break free from the influence of others. Sartre described how Freud, while seeking a path forward, endeavored to free himself from the encirclement and rough interference of figures like Theodore Meyer, Joseph Bruno, and the detestable William Fries. Especially concerning Fries, Sartre painted him as a devil, even though these individuals were, notably, Freud's friends and colleagues, and particularly Fries was a close friend. In the second scene, a large group of hysterical female patients who underwent Freud's psychoanalytic treatment is depicted, with some achieving recovery. Ultimately, Freud remains Freud: a middle-aged man who feels deeply alone, an existential hero without a god and without a father. In general, Sartre's portrayal presents Freud not only as a compassionate and scientifically-minded doctor but also as a deeply troubled individual who struggles with the acknowledgment of his patricidal impulses. Additionally, Freud's concern over the rising anti-Semitism in Austria is notable. On the other hand, Freud is depicted as a very stern person, with Sartre suggesting that at times he resembled Stalin. In his clinic, he was always ready to defend the most brutal treatment methods, justifying them with the success they ultimately achieved. His revenge on the hardline Viennese middle class by exposing their ugliness also seems to reflect Sartre's own hatred towards the French bourgeoisie. Of course, all of the above was deleted during the filming, so this screenplay is worth reading even more. Currently, this script has been translated into English, which includes the full text of Sartre's first draft and part of the second draft's scenes. The play is divided into three acts, and each group of shots invariably illustrates the self-creation of Freud, the master of psychoanalysis, undoubtedly representing Sartre's existentialism's transformation of psychoanalysis. Whether one appreciates or mocks Freud's psychoanalytic therapy, no one has ever written it into a screenplay with such rich connotations as Sartre did.