The Freud Scenario

by Jean-Paul Sartre, Quintin Hoare (Translation)

Presents both versions of the screenplay John Huston commissioned Sartre to write about Freud and discusses the background of the work

Genres: Philosophy, Psychology, Fiction, Plays, France, Literature, Classics

568 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. Sartre was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology). His work has influenced sociology, critical theory, post-colonial theory, and literary studies. He was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature despite attempting to refuse it, saying that he always declined official honors and that "a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution."
Sartre held an open relationship with prominent feminist and fellow existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Together, Sartre and de Beauvoir challenged the cultural and social assumptions and expectations of their upbringings, which they considered bourgeois, in both lifestyles and thought. The conflict between oppressive, spiritually destructive conformity (mauvaise foi, literally, 'bad faith') and an "authentic" way of "being" became the dominant theme of Sartre's early work, a theme embodied in his principal philosophical work Being and Nothingness (L'Être et le Néant, 1943). Sartre's introduction to his philosophy is his work Existentialism Is a Humanism (L'existentialisme est un humanisme, 1946), originally presented as a lecture.

Reviews

[Adriana Scarpin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Virge Santa! Sartre não entendia nada de cinema se escreveu um roteiro infilmável desses que duraria umas seis ou oito horas de um filme muito chato, ou ele tinha em mente alguém como o Béla Tarr para filmá-lo, rá! Não, ficou respeitável a condensação do John Huston, deu uma bela enxugada e torno-o filmável. Como roteiro é impraticável, mas é até interessante de ser lido especialmente se o leitor não teve a oportunidade de ler a biografia de Ernest Jones sobre Freud.

[Jonathan Ridenour · Rating 5 out of 5]

So who knew that the famous French existensial philosopher was commishened to write a screenplay on the early life of Freud. Its a great read and a fun story. It's a wonderful portrayl of the early life of Frued. It's the story of how Frued broke away from Charcot, Bruer, and Meynert to invent the "talking cure". What I really like about this book is that it makes Freud's ideas seem so organic. He develops his theory of psychosexual development and the Oedipal complex out of hysteria. The beauty of this book is his use of self in therapy to help him discover his own issues.

[Awet Moges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great screenplay. Having Sartre writing a screenplay with Freud as the main protagonist should be something like Nietzsche directing a play on Kant, or Ayn Rand writing Karl Marx's autobiography.

However, in this screenplay, Freud is no cartoon villain, or some mere caricature -- Sartre instead chose to present him as an existential hero. The existential hero confronts the Absurdity of existence, and finds a way to create meaning, despite it. Freud faced overwhelming odds in a skeptical establishment, his mentors or intellectual superiors, an embarrassing family and a deeply cynical wife. But he broke on through to the other side and learned something about himself, about his own complexes, and developed psychoanalysis.

However, I did detect a subtle critique of Freud himself, rather than his theories.

[Dr.Amene · Rating 3 out of 5]

زمانی که خوندمش خیلی دوستش داشتم

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

سارتر به روانشناسی فروید، و به ناخودآگاه و خودآگاه، چندان اعتقادی نداشت بلکه به نوعی روان شناسی "وجودی" معتقد بود که بیشتر درونی ست، و نه ناشی از تاثیر عوامل بیرونی. او خداگونگی انسان را بیشتر می پسندید و در "کلمات" که به یک خودزندگی نامه شبیه است، به این مساله اشاره کرده است.

در مورد ژان پل سارتر، مطلبی جداگانه نوشته ام؛
http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...

[Nasrin Salahshouri · Rating 2 out of 5]

بعد از خواندن این فیلم نامه و البته دیدن این فیلم نوع رابطه فروید با همسرش برام روشن شد.

[Kapil Yadav · Rating 5 out of 5]

sartre is a genius when it comes to playwright.

[Alessandro B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unter anderem ein Buch über Freuds daddy issues. Abgesehen davon: Spannende Abhandlung zu den ersten Jahren der freudianischen Psychoanalyse, in welcher Freud als Neurotiker und querdenkenden Mediziner skizziert wird. Auch wenn Sartre nach einigem Hin- und Her das Drehbuch aufgab, bin ich froh um dessen Existenz. Jetzt muss ich nur noch den realisierten Film sehen, um zu sehen, was letztlich der Regisseur aus den Schnipseln gedreht hatte.

[Olena Pravylo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Невеличка екскурсія у життя Фрейда в форматі кіносценарію. Зіштовхнення з власними монстрами, боротьба за власні переконання, сумніви, пошуки підтверджень ззовні та дорослішання. Книга дуже легко читається і залишає по собі легкий присмак зацікавленості у наукових пошуках та знахідках Фрейда.

[crossedmythoughtlessheart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lowkey words cannot describe how much I loved this play Sartre is so funny in this (I have no clue if this is intentional). So sad it didn’t make it to Hollywood, would’ve been my favourite crossover of all time. Live laugh love Freud x Sartre (perhaps should’ve stayed enemies, who knows).

[Olena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Мне понравилась, написана очень легко, прочитала всего за пару дней

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Почему-то мне было трудно ее читать, начиная с третьей части.
Но развязка просто ошарашила. О_О
И, наверное, больше ничего не скажу об этой книге. Боюсь проболтаться о сюжете.

[Giorgi Komakhidze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freud as an existential hero.
Weird.
Couldn't catch up. Tried. Tried again.
Still weird.