Freud’s Last Session (2023)
In 1939, a young professor from Oxford had an extensive meeting with Sigmund Freud a few weeks before his death. While the identity of this professor is unknown, there are speculations as to who it may have been. Based on a play of the same name, by playwright Mark St. Germain, Freud’s Last Session explores one of these speculations. It observes a very possible, yet fictitious meeting between Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins) and a young C.S. Lewis (Matthew Goode).
In this hypothetical conversation, Lewis and Freud challenge each other’s worldviews. They tackle many concepts including the existence of God, trauma, morality, relationships, sex, sexuality, and the fear of death. Throughout the film, the presentation of each topic is very neutral, allowing the viewer to engage their own mind in the conversation rather than being told what to think or believe. The director (Matthew Brown) gives just the right amount of time needed to each side of the discussion as well as allowing the personalities of the characters to shine through.
As if the topics being discussed weren’t tense enough, this gentlemanly dispute was also heightened due to the events taking place around them. The meeting happened just two days after the beginning of World War II. For Lewis, this meant dealing with constant reminders of his time fighting in World War I. He carried with him a fear of the war as well as many emotional burdens. As for Freud, he was dealing with his own battles. He was in constant pain due to his battle with oral cancer.
The portrayals of Freud and Lewis were very well done. Anthony Hopkins was the perfect level of comedic, cynical, cocky, and cold. Each one of these characteristics are prominently found in Freud’s writings. As for Lewis, Matthew Goode did a great job at capturing an early sense of stoicism from the author. C.S. Lewis, at this point in his life, had only just converted to Christianity and had published his first two novels. One a fictional work titled The Pilgrim’s Regress (1933) as well as a nonfictional, topical study titled The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition (1936). Lewis would later go on to write upwards of 40 more novels.
From a filmmaking perspective, you are left with much to be desired. The color in the film is bland and often shifts in hue, even within the same scene (though this issue might have just been in the screening I attended). The editing is fairly choppy, jumping from one scene to the next without rhythm. The cinematography and framing of the shots are often bland. Lastly, this film does little to expound on events and the history surrounding both characters, aside from the events directly referenced in their conversation.
Freud’s Last Session hinges on an intriguing hypothetical encounter, the performances of it’s two main talents, and your own interest with the subject matter presented. If you are a casual moviegoer, this film is probably not your cup of tea. If you are a film enthusiast, it’s execution is most likely too plain. If you are interested in watching historical figures, whose work has shaped the world of science and theology, challenging each other…you’re in luck! This film is exactly that, not much more and definitely not less. Overall, I enjoyed the film. Even more so, I enjoyed the time spent afterwards thinking about the concepts touched on and the idea that this conversation may have actual happened.
