The Professor and the MadmanThe Professor and the Madman
(2019)
Close video

The Professor and the Madman

A professor seeks to compile the Oxford English Dictionary with help from a patient at a criminal asylum.

Trailer

Why watch this film?

"The Professor and the Madman" tells an incredible true story, going from murder to the creation of the most important English language dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). It was an ambitious project, which brought together a man seeking to compile all words and their origins and meanings with a murderer with an immense devotion to books. Based on the book "The Professor and the Madman" by Simon Winchester, the movie has its missteps in terms of script, but it knows how to make good use of its strong duo of protagonists and impeccable production design, which faithfully reproduces Oxford in the mid-19th century. As a curiosity, the movie also features a young Winston Churchill, still at the beginning of his political career.

Filmelier

Filmelier

Our suggestions

Plot summary

Professor James Murray begins work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid 19th century, and receives over 10,000 entries from a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, Dr. William Minor.

To share

Where to watch?