Mesmer is a 1994 Biographical film

Biographical film

A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...

 directed by Roger Spottiswoode

Roger Spottiswoode

Roger Spottiswoode is a Canadian-born film director and writer, who began his career as an editor in the 1970s. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He has directed a number of notable films and television productions, including Under Fire and the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies starring...

 from a script by Dennis Potter

Dennis Potter

Dennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...

. It stars Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman

Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...

 as Franz Anton Mesmer and depicts his radical new ways as a pioneering physician.

Plot

In 18th century Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, Franz Anton Mesmer believes he is able to heal patients by drawing out something unique from inside his patients. However, the only ones who seem to have improvements are the young ladies he helps. His controversial methods and their consequences lead him to leave Vienna and head to Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

. However, once there, he takes advantage of his unique methods to provide entertainment, which he is censured for by other doctors.

Main cast

Actor	Role
Alan Rickman Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...	Franz Anton Mesmer
Amanda Ooms Amanda Ooms Amanda Ooms is a Swedish actress and writer. She has acted in both film and TV in Sweden and internationally. She was born in Kalmar, Sweden.-Partial filmography:*1986 – Bröderna Mozart*1988 – Hotel St...	Maria Theresa Paradies
Donal Donnelly Donal Donnelly Donal Donnelly was an English-born Irish theatre and film actor. He was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, but raised in Dublin, Ireland....	Doctor
David Burke	Doctor
David Hemblen David Hemblen David Hemblen is an English-born actor who frequently works in Canadian film, television and theater. He was a mainstay on the television series Earth: Final Conflict, playing Jonathan Doors, and played recurring roles in A Nero Wolfe Mystery and La Femme Nikita . He voiced Magneto on the popular...	Dr. Ingehousz
Simon McBurney Simon McBurney Simon Montagu McBurney, OBE is an English actor, writer and director. He is the founder and artistic director of Théâtre de Complicité in England, now called Complicite.-Early life:...	Franz
Gillian Barge Gillian Barge Gillian Barge was an English stage, television and film actress.She was born in Hastings, Sussex and she started acting at the age of 17, training at the Birmingham Theatre School....	Frau Mesmer
Peter Dvorsky	Dr. Deslon
Anna Thalbach	Francisca

Movie Extras

The movie was released on videocassette by First Look and in Canada in 1994 by Cineplex Odeon and MCA. In 2000, the movie was released on DVD by Image Entertainment, but has been discontinued since. As of January 3, 2010, there have been no plans made to release a new DVD.

This movie was shot in Vienna, Austria with the interior shots filmed at Esterházy Palace in Fertõd, Hungary.

Mesmer was released in August 1994 in Canada, at the Montréal World Film Festival.

Movie Quotes

Franz Anton Mesmer: (with sarcasm) Professor Doctor Stoerk, can I help you at all? I deal with most derangements, sir.

Awards

Awards
Award	Year	Result	Award	Recipient
Montréal World Film Festival	1994	Won	Best Actor	Alan Rickman Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...