MovieChat Forums > When Nietzsche Wept (2007) Discussion > Armand Assante was awesome.

Armand Assante was awesome.

posted 15 years ago by Khulozz
8 replies | jump to latest

Armand Assante did awesome at playing an entertaining character, and I kind of hope Nietzsche was like that in real life.

I love that crazy bastard Nietzsche. If I could talk with any historical figure it would be Nietzsche. What are some other cool Nietzsche related stuff to read or watch? I'm especially curious about his personality and psychology and stuff. I'm also really curious what he was like after he went insane, like did he write anything at all at this point? I can't find any info on the web about the specifics of his insanity.

"Yeah... well I'm taller."

[–] FEL123_2000 15 years ago

His Wikipedia page is a good start if you are interested in him. I find him very interesting. What first drew me to him was that giant mustache! Do an image search on him and you can see that mustache at different stages of his life. It is interesting to think of what ever possessed him to grow such a stache. I think one could spend years digging through the many layers of his works.

I kinda hope he WASN'T like Assante played him. The Assante version made him seem like a surly, belligerent guy. I hope he wasn't like that in real life.

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"If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything." -George McFly

[–] Khulozz 15 years ago

I really wanna know what he wrote after he went insane, he must have wrote something sittin in an asylum all day right? I can't find that anywhere.

The stache is awesome. Was that a real style or was he just a goofy bastard?

I like to think he drove himself insane with his philosophies and his struggles to overcome nihilism. I think it's totally possible and it's much cooler than syphilis.

"Yeah... well I'm taller."

[–] cannotlogon103 15 years ago

I really wanna know what he wrote after he went insane, he must have wrote something sittin in an asylum all day right? I can't find that anywhere.

Probably his most famous "post-breakdown" works are The Anti-Christ and Twilight of the Idols, and they are.....BRILLIANT!

However, I caution, anyone who wishes to truly understand the philosophy of Nietzsche must be prepared to read all of his works. Taking any one of his books, and trying to deduce what his philosophy was all about from it will lead you very far astray. His collected works need to be read, in total, and in the order in which he wrote them.

I am Miisa's cat.

[–] badioutothebone 14 years ago

I didn't think Nietzsche wrote anything after his breakdown. He broke down in 1890 and was catatonic for many of the years until he died. Will To Power was bunged out by his sister (a total bastardisation of his notebooks) but I don't think he produced anything new during this period.

Anti-Christ and Twilight of the Idols were both written in 1888, which was before his breakdown. I don't think anything was written when he'd gone completely mad (not that he'd have been able to in the state that he was in) but Ecce Homo stands as something that is distinctly more...."eccentric" than his other works.

I agree that you should jump in with all of his works and start from the beginning to see his development. Kaufmann's "Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist" is the best combination of detailed biography and critical discussion of his work that I've come across. Worth a gander if the thought of all that Nietzsche is a bit daunting.

Ain't no devil, just God when he's drunk.

[–] funkyfry 14 years ago

"I really wanna know what he wrote after he went insane, he must have wrote something sittin in an asylum all day right?"

If you assume that his "insane" writings are going to be more interesting or insightful than anything he wrote when he was within his reason, then you're already losing the battle to understand him. Nietzsche was an absolute rationalist and in "Daybreak" he scoffed the romantic notion derived from the ancient world that equates insanity with transcendental wisdom or the establishment of new morality. He says that most mystics and would-be ethical/moral rulemakers must make themselves go insane -- through fasting, meditation, isolation, sensory deprivation -- to make others believe in their exceptional nature, to make themselves believe. It seems like you're falling into this old trap. At any rate Nietzsche wrote nothing after his final breakdown.

Did I not love him, Cooch? MY OWN FLESH I DIDN'T LOVE BETTER!!! But he had to say 'Nooooooooo'

[–] fnj2002 15 years ago

You bet he was! I was stunned by Armand Assante's performance. This has renewed a sense of awe in Assante which I haven't really felt since he got his chance with Gotti in 1996 and ran with it. I don't know why he doesn't get more roles which give him a chance to excel, because he can certainly do it.

[–] fanaticita 14 years ago

Assante was brilliant, I agree. I loved the film from beginning to end. The performances of all the actors were very good. I was surprised to see Ben Cross, and thought he was a little stiff. . . but maybe that was the character.

[–] ringrosek 14 years ago

If you want to read Nietzsche, whatever book you pick up get an edition translated by Walter Kaufmann. He's widely regarded as Nietzsche's best translator.