Brilliant exploration of the paranoia and madness of genius

Rating: 9/10 (31 August 1999)

"Pi" is a gritty, dark, and engaging film that locks you into the experience of a genius teetering on the knife-edge of madness. "Pi" is not for every moviegoer, but those who love the look and feel of film noir, and those who enjoy films that exercise the mind as well as the imagination, will not be disappointed.
The story is based on a mathematician's pursuit of the number pattern that holds the key to the stock market. His theory holds that all nature operates under immutable laws. These laws may be expressed numerically. The stock market is a natural, numerical entity. Therefore, the stock market operates under mathematically expressed laws of nature. By finding the key sequence within the stock market, he will prove his theory that all nature may be expressed numerically.
In his own words "1. Mathematics is the language of nature. 2. Everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers. 3. If you graph these numbers, patterns emerge. Therefore: There are patterns everywhere in nature."
The tension of his pursuit is palpable. This is a portrait of the Mad Genius character that transcends the cliche, redefining madness and genius as portrayed on screen. As he gets closer to his goal, his paranoia increases, as do his headaches (convulsive attacks resulting from childhood trauma) and hallucinations.
Adding to the madness are two groups interested in the hero's results. One group wants the key to the worldwide markets, while the other seeks the true name of God. Both need the hero's genius, but he needs them in fundamental ways as well: one for their technology, the other for their perspicacity.
Shot in black and white, the filmmakers succeed in their attempts to create visual tension in a frequently static world. At times the camera bobs and weaves along with the motion and sanity of the hero, enhancing the film. It is neither disorienting, nor distracting--unlike the mind-numbing camera motion in "The Blair Witch Project."
The music is best described as industrial-driven rhythm. The main titles feature a track by Massive Attack that musically expresses the anxiety, frustration, energy, and madness of the hero's pursuit. Just as the camera-motion sequences add to the film's impact, the music provides a perfect paranoiac aural soundtrack.
Mathematical references abound in the film, all of which are explained in their most basic form without being condescending. Greek theorists and the Japanese game Go are made relevant to the story. And the hero names his computer Enigma, after the legendary Nazi code broken at Bletchley Park during World War II.
The most glaring problem with the film was its predictable storyline. Within the context of the film the story is perfectly logical--what you would expect from a film based on a mathematician. It is, therefore, predictable. What mitigated this problem for me was my interest in the execution of the film. While I had a good idea what was going to happen, I was nevertheless happy to witness the events unfold. Credit the director with making the film engaging despite the problem with the script.
This film succeeded where "Kafka" and "The Blair Witch Project" failed. It created tension, suspense, and drama without falling bring a one trick pony (Blair Witch) or falling into melodrama (Kafka).