on friendship 2

8/14/2019 On Friendship 2

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Michael Schellman

Box 7211

Spiritual Frienship / Correll

A Friendship Observed

The fact that I will be taking my example from a movie, reveals the current deficiency I am

experiencing in my social life. The strongest and most desirable friendship I have seen in a long time is the

relationship, between the mathematician Max Cohen, and his mentor Saul – in the movie Pi. Because of

his brilliance Max is able to perceive the mathematical patterns underlying things in the everyday world, a

puff of smoke, the rustling of leaves in the trees, the swirl of cream in a cup of coffee, and the spiraling of

galaxies, all this can be described by mathematics.

Max has been on a quest to find the pattern that lies behind the random structure of the numerical

sequence of Pi, a project that his mentor had given up on years ago when he decided to retire after a stroke.

Max believes that if he can find the underlying structure of the seemingly random sequence of numbers he

will have a model for the seemingly random events that occur in large systems of connected agents like the

stock market. As he gets nearer to a solution to this puzzle he begins to be harassed and pressured by

mysterious groups who want the number for themselves – Power Brokers from wall street and a sect of

Hassidic Jews who believe he is about to stumble across the sacred name of God. But back to the

friendship,

The three scenes regarding Max and Saul in the movie are very meaningful for me. The first

occurs in Saul’s living room. Two comfy chairs sit side by side with a small table between, on the table is a

game of Go (a Chinese game of strategy which has thematic connections with big picture of the film).

Behind Saul are shelves of books and nearby is a fish tank in which swims, Saul’s gold fish Archimedes.

As they play the game, Max is discusses the progress of his work on Pi, Saul is casually trying to distract

Max’s attention from his obsession. He tells Max the story about how the real Archimedes was given the

problem of finding out how to measure the mass of an object. He troubled over the problem for weeks,

driving his wife crazy. Having forgotten all about personal hygiene during this time, his wife is finally fed

up and tells him to take a bath. As he enters the tub and the water is displaced the answer finally hits him

and he is so happy he goes running down the street crying “Eureka, I’ve found it”. Saul asks Max “what is

the purpose of this story?” Max, who is somewhat frustrated with Saul’s lack of interest in his problem



says, “An answer will come”. “WRONG!” says Saul, “The purpose of the story is LISTEN TO YOUR

WIFE, take a break”.

The second of the scenes with Saul occurs in his kitchen. Max feels he is getting close to the

answer. He has been having these headaches and some really weird visions. During one such vision he

sees his computer generating a sequence of numbers. He tries to get it to print, but his printer explodes. He

tries to write it down, but it is moving too fast. He finally looks at the screen and commits it to memory

just before he blacks out. When he comes to, his computer is completely fried. Later that day, he notices

the stock market picks match his number exactly. He tries to tell Saul about this, who perks up for a

minute, but then quickly, goes back to getting some milk out of the fridge. Max tells Saul his computer

Euclid died shortly after spitting out the number. He wants to know if the number it spit out is some sort of

bug like the one Saul encountered when he was on the quest. Saul tells him to leave it alone, its nothing.

Max then tells Saul he has been talking to some Jews who are interested in his number and about their

interest in numerical sequences in the Torah. Saul confronts him harshly and says “once you sacrifice

scientific rigor you cease being a mathematician and become a numerologist”.

In the last scene Max comes to Saul’s apartment to find a young woman answer the door (perhaps

a relative), Saul has had another stroke, like the one he had years ago before he have up on finding the

answer to the riddle of Pi. He is now in a coma and the chances of his survival are slim. Max comes into

the apartment to look around, he sees the goldfish, the books, the comfy chairs - this place has become so

familiar to him. On the small table between the two chairs is the go board – the black and white pieces

arranged in the familiar spiral pattern that Max has been seeing everywhere. Next to the board is a

crumpled piece of paper, Max picks it up and opens it. It is the same numerical sequence from his vision.

He was on to something, and Saul was trying to protect him from it. This must have been what caused

Saul’s stroke all those years ago, perhaps at the time he thought it was nothing at the time - but Max’s

discoveries had re-awakened this interest; here was evidence that Saul was now convinced that he was

close to the answer.

Max lives his day to day life as a recluse. He is so consumed with numbers that he denies himself

a normal life. The friendship between Max and Saul is almost entirely cerebral, though Saul has mellowed

over the years and tries to exert a tempering influence on Max who lives completely in his head. Saul is



Max’s only significant personal relationship; the only one who brings out his humanity. He is able to do

this because he understands him, and what drives him, how he works. He sees in this young man a younger

version of himself. Max no doubt is drawn to Saul by his appreciation of his genius and his

accomplishment – he wouldn’t waste his time with someone whom he did not see as an equal or a superior

– so consumed is he with his one single purpose. So, in this one case, he allows himself to enjoy the

humanity and the companionship, not as the purpose of their relationship but as welcome side benefit. Saul

of course knows that Max needs this human contact more than he does. No doubt a large part of their

conversation revolves around numbers. But the benefits transcend the substance of their relationship. Saul

is able to speak into Max’s life the wisdom of experience, Max at least hears him out because they share a

common language and interest. I love the relationship between Max and Saul. I have experience the

intense stimulation of a shared language and interest. I have also known the joy of having a mentor I’ve

met with on a regular basis. I have never had these two things together though. I envy their friendship.

on friendship 2

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