Π: Faith in Chaos

"Pi: Faith in Chaos" is a very interesting film directed by Darren Aronofsky in 1997. Sean Gullette played the main character, Maximilian Cohen, and was one of the film's writers. Max Cohen is a mathematician who says that everything can be explained numerically. He is looking for for a numerical explanation of what happens on Wall Street. He is pursued by a Wall Street firm for this code. He is also pursued be a Kaballah sect who are also looking for a numerical code of religious significance. At times the cinematography is very grainy. This fits the tone of the movie that was filmed in black and white.At times Max seems to be on the verge of insanity. There is often a thin line between what is perceived as insanity and what is perceived as genius. Max meets with a mentor who had been a mathematics professor. They play the game Go. This becomes one of the main themes of the film. Are the many possible ways a Go game can be played random or is there a pattern? Sometimes it is hard to tell if what we see is supposed to be happening or is it a hallucination? The film has a great soundtrack with music by Clint Mansell. This movie demonstrates that it is not necessary to have a large budget to make a satisfying film.