Freud’s Last Session Movie Review

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C.S. Lewis was the writer of the children’s imaginative series The Chronicles of Narnia. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” in 1950 marked the beginning of the series and the most popular of the set. Fame was also chatting about Christianity during WWII on the BBC. That’s not what this movie is about and the subject isn’t mentioned until the movie’s end in post-script.

The synopsis for “Freud’s Last Session” mentions that the “two greatest minds of the twentieth century, Lewis and Sigmund Freud, converge.” The “Last Session” from the title becomes obvious… they battle over the actuality of God or is it a big hoax, which Freud is on the side of. Their discussion leads to several topics and points in time, but the main gabfest is over a God.

At the time, the father of Psychoanalysis, Dr. Freud, played by Anthony Hopkins, was suffering from Oral cancer. He had a lot of help from his daughter Anna with his care. He hardly trusted anyone else to touch him. It’s a very uncomfortable thing to learn.

Director Matthew Brown also dives into the deep end of Freud’s relationship with Anna, played by Liv Lisa Fries from “Babylon Berlin.” Anna has become a child psychologist, and watching her relationship with her father makes you feel there’s an intense, possibly grave reason for that to have happened. That’s what the movie eludes to anyway.

She does everything he wants, and seems to be at his beck and call. Her work and her relationship with girlfriend Dorothy, Jodi Balfour, from “Quarry” and “Ted Lasso.” It’s difficult for her to balance her father’s desires and what’s expected of her from the rest of the world, but she’ll do anything to make sure he’s taken care of… to her detriment. At some point, he had become her analyst. This thought alone will make you wince.

Lewis played by Matthew Goode from “The Imitation Game,” and “Watchman” is an Oxford professor who comes to chat with Freud about a few issues. Before his arrival, Freud has a drink to which he adds morphine. When Lewis arrives late, which irritates Freud, he’s asked why he has come to discuss the topic he so blatantly disagrees with Freud about. They disagree with just about everything between religion and politics. Freud wonders aloud if Lewis gets the fairy tale of there being a God from his parents.

Lewis relays to him that he lost his mother when he was young, and his dad, who grieved, dropped his son off at a boarding school and left him there. He did have a brother who gave him a gift. It came from love and brought Lewis great joy.

Freud’s take on everything he was told sums up the man… about the women he chooses and why, and joking about how easy it was to give him pleasure. He suggests that the gift leaves him searching for a father figure.

Sigmund Freud had no doubt that Christ was a man, just as Buddha and Mohammed were. He asks his patients the same questions he ends up asking Lewis. Why would Christ be better or put before these others? Jesus says, “Unless we become as little children, we shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Freud can’t help but add, “Little children come unto me.” He tells the young professor that we’ve never matured enough to face the terror of being alone in the dark… but religion has made the world a giant playpen. Freud has two words for humanity. “Grow up!”

The film is happening during WWII and some German dirigibles begin dropping gas bombs. Freud and Lewis run to a Catholic church, where Lewis panics. Freud helps him through it, which is touched upon later. With 22,000 people killed in just two days, Freud can’t help but ask the professor where his God was when that was happening and where he was when Lewis was so scared. A man of faith shouldn’t be afraid.

It’s said that the Father of Psychoanalysis and an Oxford don sat and discussed their thoughts, the don believing that he must defend his faith, not necessarily gain Freud’s approval. They reportedly met not long before Freud’s death, but whether it was C.S. Lewis or not is not certain. There’s a lot to learn from this film and I found it incredibly compelling. Hopkins is incredible.