The Man Who Knew Infinity

This intellectually entertaining film tells the story of S. Ramanujan, a poor and uneducated genius, who comes from India to England in search of publishing his work. This true story illustrates the subject of math as outstandingly beautiful while exploring Ramanujan’s brilliance throughout the piece. Ramanujan takes up residence at Cambridge University while being supervised by Professor G. H. Hardy. Films that explore intellectual brilliance and hard work are mesmerizing to watch. These films explain how the brain is capable of the unthinkable that a human can do.

Ramanujan’s severe underdog tale is a perfect encapsulation of how people at first are scared of what they cannot understand. A Brilliant Young Mind was another fully grabbing tale of someone who excelled at mathematics. As the film opened, I got chills up my spine as I hear Jeremy Irons’ Hardy state how his first and ever romantic experience was with Ramanujan. He means romantic as obviously an emotionally filling relationship between two friends. That narration sets the tone of the inspirational tale that is to follow while demanding a serious vow of attention to the picture.

We can see through that line how Ramanujan changed Hardy’s life forever with his “thoughts from God” as Ramanujan puts them. The extraordinaire man we can see comes from extremely humble beginnings. He is basically homeless at first and is turned down by multiple potential occupations. Elements of racism that were obviously rampant in the early 1900's appear in the film but not in an intense way as to turn one off. When Ramanujan finally gets a job by the quick words a fellow Indian says about him, he acquires a small place with his wife that they are both grateful for. As she puts it “It is okay, it’s a home.” This scene is so telling to the fact that Ramanujan, his mother, and his wife were so destitute even when he was eons beyond anybody else in his thoughts.

I thoroughly love how God was tied in to this story. Hardy is an atheist who has something to learn besides mathematics from the outrageously gifted new mind. In some of the most trying scenes, which were not too painful, Hardy is faced with his acceptance of God in gripping ways. In a poignant scene Ramanujan answers Hardy’s question while saying that his formulas embedded in thoughts come from God. This man, although viewed by some as arrogant, was a humble and God believing being. This is a definite see that gives great substance to the underdog concept.
(Review by Wyatt Head)