Video: David Cronenberg Talks About 'The Dangerous Method' At Toronto's FanExpo

So what's this new David Cronenberg film The Dangerous Method all about? We know it is based on Christopher Hampton's play The Talking Cure, and that it concerns the early friendship and working relationship between Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), and the young woman (Keira Knightley) that came between them. For many people, that's enough — that cast plus that story and Cronenberg and I'm certainly good to go.

But if you want to know more, and straight from the mouth of the director, here's a few minutes of video from Toronto's recent FanExpo, at which Cronenberg finally appeared as a guest, after years of scheduling conflicts kept him away from the biggest genre event in his home city. At the outset of his panel, the director talked about the history of The Dangerous Method and his reasons for making the film.

First up, we've been referring to the film as A Dangerous Method, but when Cronenberg starts talking about the movie, he clearly says THE Dangerous Method. So I'll use that slightly different title for now.

Further than that, Cronenberg explains how the addition of the Sabina Spielrein character, played by Knightley, was what made the story interesting to him, and makes it much more than a biopic about either scientific figure. "And the costumes are great. If you all [gestures to the audience] dressed like them, it would be fantastic!"

Beyond that, I won't steal Mr. Cronenberg's thunder (as if I could) by telling you what he says in the clip. The whole point is to hear him say it, so here you go. The real talk about The Dangerous Method starts about two minutes in.