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DVD The Red Violin
Mounted in high lavish style, from the opening strains to coda, The Red Violin pays homage to the careful uses of color and composition without bothering to support these qualities with any real substance. Oh, it's a class act on the surface all the way, while failing on nearly every other level to convince. The story tells the story, revealing precious little else. The 17th-century Cremonese instrument-maker Niccolo Bussotti finishes his final violin with a curious red varnish, the secret of which spans the film, yet will come as a surprise only to the very sleepy. The odd voyage of this unique violin through history is then explored from one episode to the next, from child prodigy to gypsies to Victorian virtuoso to a clandestine enclave of art lovers in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution. This is all framed by the violin's rediscovery in present day by instrument appraiser Charles Morritz (Samuel L. Jackson), for whom the perfect instrument strikes a resonant chord. The main scheme of the film, an object connecting a number of seemingly disparate stories, has been used many times, most notably in Max Ophuls's La Ronde. But while this approach is employed elsewhere to cause one scene to reverberate against another, The Red Violin is content to leave each episode thematically unconnected with any of the others. On the decorative level, the film may satisfy many viewers with its sensuous attention to tone and detail, as well as its eclectic and expertly performed score. But as narrative it is very slight. Just pierce the pretty crust of this puff pastry and gaze in wonder at the pocket of air within. --Jim Gay
a fine anthology movie heightened by a great corigliano score
a very old-fashioned device, using a single object and its journey thru time toshow its effect upon various characters. some of the vignettes are weak (the victorian maestro) and some are strong (the chinese cultural revolution), but if you dont like one -- well, in 20 minutes youll be off somewhere else, lol. but above all, there is that splendid score by john corigliano: one of the few screen soundtrack albums id ever bother to buy.
The Red Violin
Story itself was good. But the story develop and sceen edditing was no so much exciting.
Finely Crafted
An excellent movie, well crafted. Traces through history of Auction Lot #72, Bussotti's "Red Violin". In the 17th C Bussotti creates his masterpiece which finds its way into the hands of a child prodigy, gypsy's, a english virtuoso, a chinese musician during the cultural revolution, and eventually at Duval's Auctionhouse in Montreal. Each historical timeframe is interspersed with the fortune tellers turn of the tarot cards, and connections to each period are represented at the auction. An interesting insight in to the world of classical music, the instruments, players and collectors. Recommended.
This sumptuous and moving 1994 film written and directed by Bernard Rose (Candyman) investigates the artistic and romantic passions of one of the greatest composers of all time. Featuring a superb performance by Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy) as Ludwig van Beethoven, Immortal Beloved is full of uncommonly vivid, rich imagery as it charts the tumultuous life of the deaf child prodigy and his rise to the height of musical achievement. Along the way, he attempts to play mentor to his nephew, attend to his many passionate romances--the most stable one was with a countess (Isabella Rossellini)--and fight bouts of depression and madness that ruled his life and his art. The film is framed around a "Rosebud"-type letter found after the composer's death that makes up the crux of... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Gary Oldman - Jeroen Krabbé Director(s): Bernard Rose DVD Release Date: Released the 28 August 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This tearjerker by Australian filmmaker Scott Hicks is a surprising story about real-life classical pianist David Helfgott, an Australian who rose to international prominence at a very young age in the 1950s and '60s, and suffered a psychological collapse after enduring years of abuse from his father (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Hicks has three very fine actors portraying Helfgott at different stages of his life, including the adorably wry and goofy Noah Taylor (Flirting), who takes up the character's teen years, and Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, giving a great performance playing the musician as a schizophrenic adult. Despite the Helfgotts' compromised psychological health, Shine is hardly a depressing experience. If anything, the story is really about how long one person's life... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Geoffrey Rush - Armin Mueller-Stahl Director(s): Scott Hicks DVD Release Date: Released the 26 August 1997 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The satirical sensibilities of writer Peter Shaffer and director Milos Forman (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest) were ideally matched in this Oscar-winning movie adaptation of Shaffer's hit play about the rivalry between two composers in the court of Austrian Emperor Joseph II--official royal composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), and the younger but superior prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). The conceit is absolutely delicious: Salieri secretly loathes Mozart's crude and bratty personality, but is astounded by the beauty of his music. That's the heart of Salieri's torment--although he's in a unique position to recognize and cultivate both Mozart's talent and career, he's also consumed with envy and insecurity in the face of such genius. That such magnificent music... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Milos Forman DVD Release Date: Released the 24 September 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The Legend of 1900 is an outstanding flick, truly great. Bodies, Rest & Motion is one of those flicks that you keep watching because you're hoping it has to get better. It never does. Don't bother with buying the combo of the two flicks. Just get Legend. Only because Legend is such a strong 5 stars by itself keeps me from rating the combo lower. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Tim Roth Director(s): Giuseppe Tornatore DVD Release Date: Released the 21 October 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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