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Copying Beethoven [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)


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Too Plastic...Could have been good.
Review date: 2008-08-13 Rating: 4 out of 10

On the bad side it is just too plastic and 'American'. The coloured contact lenses, perfect American film 'natural' make up and peachy skin plus the carefully arranged toussled hair etc. did not complete the period and detracted from the story. The eye-glasses the female character serupticiously slipped on and off also looked wrong for the period.The coming and going of American-English dialogue with weak American accents did not create a sense of Europe but were a distraction.

In my opinion, the actress was not a good choice. I am not familiar with her work but she gave a superficial performance when a weighty European Cinema character was needed. The actress seemed to me to have no understanding or appreciation of this genre of music and this showed in the acting. The enactment of the 'conducting' scene with fingers seemed just plain silly from someone who had no idea about Beethoven's music or it's conventions.

The use of the Hungarian 'partner' seemed suspiciously like exploitation of 'cheap' East European musicians. I may be wrong on this though.

On the good side, the story was pleasant and the Beethoven actor wasn't that bad, he seemed to have more aptitude for the music he was quite convincing. The sets and costumes were good on the whole.

The film had few scenes of nudity and therefore, like the 'Amedeus' film, it is very useful for use in education for Music students and can help to put composers into a 'real life' perspective.

'Copying Beethoven' could have been stunning if handled using European Art House filming and actors. Handled as it was, for me, it has too many 'plastic' and 'Hollywood' effects that do not create historical Germany adequetly. The actress needed replacing with someone more deep and authentic.

Pleasant but plastic...could have been good.



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Reviews


Well...
Review date: 2008-03-31 Rating: 2 out of 10

The music is, as always, magnificent. The period dresses, the views from Vienna, and photography are nice. This makes the movie worth viewing once, but unless you collect every movie about Beethoven (incl. the dog) I would not buy it on DVD.

The story about the fictive Anna Holz is,as the Master is correctly quoted during the movie, "mere intellectual farting". Even as an intellectual exercise (the position of women in early nineteenth century Vienna?) it completely misses a point.



Ode to Joy
Review date: 2008-02-17 Rating: 8 out of 10

A fictitious account of the last few months/year of Beethoven's life. A few days before the first performance of his famous Ninth symphony and everything is in chaos and so enters Diane Kruger as Anna, a copyist to work beside the great man to get it all done in time. The two strike up an unlikely bond that is born of his brutality and her frankness. The rub each other up the wrong way most of the time but underneath it lies a healthy respect. It's interesting to see the back and forth in their relationship. One moment they are getting on and the next he's having a major strop and reducing her to tears. She brings out a softer, more thoughful side in him and he pushes her musically.
The music is, as you can imagine, incredible. Watching this made me hunt out my cd of classics and just lie back. Totally inspiring.
An enjoyable movie in which both Ed Harris and Diane Kruger truely shine. In fact I think she pulls it off much better than I ever thought was possible of her.. wasn't too impressed by her role in Troy.

Getting it right -- at last
Review date: 2008-02-15 Rating: 10 out of 10

At the moment, we're having to watch the DVD on our laptop: still no PAL version, though it's continually promised... like yesterday!

Ed Harris is absolutely magnificent as LvB. The balance between the inner man (who continually "talks to God") and the everyday man (who can't cope with anything in the mundane, day-to-day world) is as near perfect as anyone is going to get. I've been a devotee of LvB for most of my 62 years; watching this film is like seeing a video of an old friend: the interpretation really IS that good.

I know it's factually inaccurate... but that doesn't seem to matter much. The FEEL of the thing is right. This is how the man was: genius, chamber pots, and all. And the part of the film that deals with the 9th's first performance (with a splendid rendering of the finale!) was enough to reduce me (literally) to tears. If you love LvB's music, watch this film: I promise you you won't be disappointed.

Stretches of imagination
Review date: 2007-10-20 Rating: 10 out of 10

Beethoven did use copyists but they were men - however the spirit of the times demands a heightened dramatice sense and so the character of Anna Holtz really becomes an externalised internal dialogue of the great master himself with his muse.

The film does not shy away depicting Beethoven's well documented style of life and composing; down to copying the sketches that exist from his work room into cinematic reality and the fact that he used to flood his apartment with water when washing - much to the distress of his neighbours below. Beethoven initially conducting the 9th was a fiasco, as protrayed, but the work did succeed get the rapturous applause it fully deserved to stand as the milestone for our contemporary music.

Beethoven was the superstar of Vienna; simultaneously changing the way of music for the world. It is said that up to 30,000 people attended his funeral.

Just as Beethoven's music stretches one's imagination, so does this cleverly composed film... Ed Harris is excellent as Beethoven in spirit and expression and Diane Kruger sparkles equally as the invented character.

I have given this 5 stars for imagination.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Ralph Riach
Diane Kruger
Matyelok Gibbs
Matthew Goode
Ed Harris

Creators:
Ed Harris (Primary Contributor)
Diane Kruger (Primary Contributor)
Alex Lewis (Producer)
Andreas Grosch (Producer)
Andreas Schmid (Producer)
Bruce Webb (Producer)
Christopher Wilkinson (Producer)
Christopher Wilkinson (Writer)
Stephen J. Rivele (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: MGM
Manufacturer: MGM
EAN: 0027616064981
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: AC-3, Colour, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC,
Release date: 2007-04-03
Universal product code (UPC): 027616064981
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 104 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: French (Dubbed)
Language: Spanish (Dubbed)

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