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Rating:  -
If you enjoyed Amadeus and Farinelli then surely you'll enjoy Immortal Beloved. The movie is brilliantly acted and directed. The cinematography is simply awesome on Blu-ray. The movie boasts an all-star cast and how do they deliver. If you enjoy period movies and stories in the tradition of the aforementioned Immortal Beloved is a great addition to the video library.
Rating:  -
I approached viewing this movie with great anticipation. I've been a devout Beethoven junkie since I was 14, but nothing of Beethoven's character as portrayed by Oldman rings true to the biographies and many articles I've read about him over the years. (No fault of Oldman's; he didn't write the script.)
Early on, we see Beethoven frolicking about in the lusty pursuit of a young girl, when in fact he was somewhat of a prude. He viewed Mozart's Don Giovanni and Marriage of Figaro as immoral, and wrote only one opera himself, Fidelio, because it was the only libretto he thought lived up to his ethical standards.
I've long thought that, given a good script, the best actor to play Beethoven would be Harvey Keitel. Just look at that scene on the beach in "The Piano" as he listens to Holly Hunter play: His hands clasped behind his back as he paces, head bent forward. He's the spitting image of Beethoven in a famous illustration made in his lifetime.
I do recommend a wonderful film on DVD from the BBC, "Eroica," about the premiere rehearsal of that symphony. There's a little thwarted romance subplot, but it's mostly about the drama of the music, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner on period instruments. Ian Hart plays Beethoven. (Trivia: he was Professor Quirinus Quirrell in the first Harry Potter movie.)
Rating: -
I love this movie! Beethoven rules and Gary Oldman is Great! Only one scene was not necessary to the movie and brings its artistic brillance down a notch. The scene I speak of is when the French Army is shown invading Austria and a few French soldiers pull a woman from a coach in the woods and rape her. Did this kind of thing happpen, of course, but what in the heck it has to do with Beethoven, his music and the mystery of his "Immortal Beloved" I have never been able to figure out. I wish it had been cut from the DVD and filled in with some footage that actual contributes to the film. A BAD Director's choice. (Mind you, I am not a critic of violence in a movie, I LOVE war movies of all sorts, but this was just meaningless to the story).
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I am not amazed that this movie, after 13 years, continues to be one that continues to get such great notice. The life of Beethoven is one that will always get much attention from anyone involved in music, and this movie brilliantly depicts one of the greater mysteries of the Master's life. Will we ever truly know who the "Immortal Beloved" really was? There are several theories, and candidates, as to who this woman really was, and some claim Karl is the son of Beethoven by his sister-in-law; however, has it ever been proven?
This movie creates in the viewer a frustration every time the Immortal Beloved is briefly glimpsed, shrouded in her veils, coming and going. Frustration develops and grows with every near miss Beethoven has in meeting his lover, a frustration the viewer keenly feels. This is done so well the viewer develops an understanding of the angst Beethoven himself felt in loving a woman he could not have.
This is a movie I highly recommend for any Beethoven fan.
Rating: -
Gary Oldman does a superb job as Ludwig van Beethovan. The story of guessing who Beethovan's "Immortal Beloved" is a fascinating one and this film captures it. I was highly impressed by this film, and it has quickly become one of my favorites.
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