One of the richest—and most unlikely—collaborations in the history of mathematics unfolded in Cambridge between 1914 and 1919, against the backdrop of the First World War. It brought together Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887–1920), an almost entirely self-taught Indian, and the internationally renowned British professor Godfrey Hardy (1877–1947). The Man Who Knew Infinity tells the story of this remarkable encounter between two men who have nothing in common, except a shared passion for numbers.
The film is excellent in every respect. The choice and accuracy of its mathematical content owe a great deal to 2014 Fields medallist Manjul Bhargava and Ken Ono, who served as scientific advisers during filming. The quality of Dev Patel's performance in the title role also deserves mention. Jeremy Irons, meanwhile, bears an astonishing physical resemblance to Hardy. Audiences knew a good thing when they saw it: they flocked to see the film in every country where it was released, bringing in $12 million worldwide. Why, then, was France denied it? To this day, that remains a mystery, but fortunately the DVD is available, allowing us to relive this episode.
The Man Who Knew Infinity. Matthew Brown, M6 Interactions (DVD),
108 min, 2017, €13.
