Movie review
April 8, 2016 · 108 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The Man Who Knew Infinity is a 2016 biographical drama following real-life Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan from poverty in colonial Madras to his groundbreaking work at Cambridge University alongside professor G.H. Hardy during World War I. The core story centers on their cross-cultural mentorship, Ramanujan’s intuitive mathematical genius, and the personal and professional hurdles of adapting to British academia. Historical depictions of racial prejudice surface as period-specific obstacles in the narrative, presented without modern activist reframing or identity-politics messaging as the driving force.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Man Who Knew Infinity.
Woke representation / casting
Casting precisely matches the historical ethnicities, nationalities, and roles of real figures, with no audience-visible forced diversity, gender/race swaps, or mismatches to the story world.
Woke political dialogue
Contains isolated references to period-specific racial attitudes in academic settings, presented factually as historical context rather than vehicles for contemporary political or activist statements.
Identity-driven story themes
Cultural and religious identity elements, such as Ramanujan’s Indian background and faith-based mathematical intuition contrasting with British rationalism, recur as part of the biographical challenges but remain secondary to the core genius-and-mentorship narrative.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Portrays early 20th-century British academic institutions exhibiting class and racial snobbery toward the Indian protagonist, overcome through individual merit and personal alliances, absent any extension to modern systemic or ideological critiques.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant; the film adapts documented historical events and figures with standard dramatic license but no ideologically motivated alterations to canon or legacy.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No substantial evidence of backlash claiming the title promotes woke, activist, or left-wing messaging; discussions of racism remain tied to historical accuracy without framing as current identity politics.
Creator track record context
Director Matthew Brown’s filmography emphasizes biographical and intellectual dramas without a track record of social-justice or identity-politics focused projects.
Production
