1 Oldman Film - Always A Good Idea
This film has everything I love in it. Beautiful music, beautiful costuming, beautiful locations, beautiful performances, a wonderful screenwriter and director. No one can really complain about the few inaccuracies and yes flaws in this film surely. It amazes me how there can be so many people disappointed in this regard. If you need absolute accuracy, watch a documentary or read a history book. I love films based on real people and events, and I don't mind that there are things "made up" in these films. After all, no one was "there" to repeat dialogue word for word. There must be a lot of fill-in material and you just hope you'll be lucky enough to have someone like Gary Oldman chosen to play the starring role. If you do, you cannot go wrong. You must enjoy period pieces as well as classical music however to enjoy this film.
2 The most brilliant movie masterpice of the century.
IMMORTAL BELOVED is a brilliant masterpiece directed by BERNARD ROSE. The best script I've seen. The most majestic words are used on this one. A true story, I hate most sci-fi movies. Incredible mind-blowing performances I've ever seen. GARY OLMAN is one of my favorite actors I've seen act. I love this movie and I watched this one over nine times. You can't get enough of it and everytime you watch this one, you learn something new. I think my favorite movie ever. Great one. If you like the most descent true-story drama movies, BUY, do not rent it, buy this one and watch it. You will not regret the special and incredible performances that contains this film. BUY this one along with AMADEUS, another masterpiece.
3 Terrible film--buy the soundtrack instead
I don't really care how accurate it is biographically; I wanted to be entertained with a good story. This isn't it. It wanders all over the place. The premise is ripped off from Citizen Kane (detectivey-person must talk to surviving loved ones to find out a Big Secret about the Big Man), and it takes forever, goes off down a million side roads that are never resolved or resolved with a big thud. This Beethoven isn't a likable guy--unlike the film character of Amadeus, who was a spoiled brat but still kind of fun and sympathetic, Beethoven is a self-centered, sadistic monster, plain and simple. A single redeeming quality in him--or anyone--would have carried this film a long way. The Ode to Joy at the end is very well done, and the only reason I bumped this film up to 2 stars.
4 Pornography?
I usually avoid writing reviews that respond to other viewers' reviews, but really . . . Pornography? Immortal Beloved?!?
That there are apparently literate people who can make such a statement says a great deal about the state of the union.
As for accuracy, history (of which biography is a subset) always happens in the present. It is always an act of interpretation by the historian. Historical fiction, frequently containing real historical characters, is even more subjective, clearly, and by intention. To pan this beautiful and haunting meditation on the creative forces in human life because it contains the image of a female breast, or because the artists who made it did not stick to "historical truth" (whatever that is) is the real obscenity.
5 Gary Oldman is Beethoven
Being a pianist myself, I am well educated on the history of Beethoven, among other composers. Though the movie does have historical inaccuracies, for a Hollywood movie, I am impressed!
Gary Oldman truly captures the PASSION and the sorrow of Ludwig Von Beethoven in all aspects. The movie starts a bit slow, but for those who are into this sort of flick, you'll understand the reasons for this.
All I can say is I give this movie 5 stars and would reccommend it to ANY music lover!
6 SOB STORY TRUMPS REAL BIOPIC
I won't add to the clamour of gripes about historical accuracy, having known very little about the Beethoven before watching this film. But much can be said about the narrative ruse to position a biopic about him as a mystery, to tell his story in a fresh 'Citizen Kane' kind of a way -- through other people's recollections.
To its credit, the music selection works very well to imbue the right effects at the right times, and some scenes evoke powerful emotion, such as a life-altering beating he received from his father as a child, or how he got the inspiration for his ninth symphony.
Problem is, all of it runs a little too long at 2:03 as it attempts to cover a sprawling ground. Half an hour into it, the screenplay falls prey to too much melodrama. Beethoven frequently comes across as a crude, short-fused, obnoxious man, making it difficult to care about his musical genius.
Acting wise, Oldman's potrayal of the madness manifesting itself in art rather than homicidal acts is fairly impressive. But unfortunately it remains unmatched by the rest of the cast.
A mild recommendation for the stunning visuals, and of course a no-brainer of a rental if you're a devout connoisseur of classical music, but otherwise a goodlooking waste that was so nearly an epic.
7 Love it!
This is a great movie. Definatley one that can be watched again and again. The acting is great!
8 Great Acting With Average Screenplay
Bernard Rose's 1994 film on the life of Ludwig Van Beethoven isn't terribly memmorable for one dealing with one of the greatest composers of all time. Although Gary Oldman performed his role very well, the story line is rather uninspiring and dull.
The whole suspense of the film revolves around a mysterious letter that is uncovered after the death of Beethoven. In the letter, he mentions a certain "immortal beloved" as being the object of his affections. Not knowing who that might be, Beethoven's close friend (Jeroen Krabb) goes out to search the mystery woman. The film then goes back in time to explore Beethoven's prior loves. The film of course tries to focus on Beethoven's character and music but those seem to take a backdrop to the melodrama which is unfortunate. Another poor choice is using Sir Georg Solti's symphonic direction as part of the sound track. Beethoven composed his music in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when your typical orchestra was small: his music wasn't intended to be played by the 300+ member orchestras directed by Solti. As a result, many aspects of Beethoven's symphonic works are simply muffled by the cacophony of such large orchestras. Furthermore, Solti's interpretations are horribly sluggish and completely at odds with Beethoven's revolutionary zeal.
Although this is an above-average film, I think it could have been done much better: especially in the selection for the soundtrack.
9 Give me a break
This is a great film. It does not purport to be an authentic biopic of Beethoven. That is not the point. Neither is Amadeus. It is beautifully filmed and acted. Gary Oldman is terrific. The soundtrack is great. Forget about historical innaccuracy and just enjoy it for what it is.
10 Great actor, awful plot.
Honesetly speaking, I love this film only because I am a great fan of Gary Oldman. His performance is powerful and adorable, and you will be helplessly fallen in love with HIS Beethoven. Yet, back to the movie and the plot...
Hm. You have to admit, you just don't know why people would like to romanticise historical figure and make a great artist to be a character in those soap opera. Hm. No offense but this movie, to a certain extent, make things so superficial. The psychological twist of Beethoven's immortal beloved is omitted- everything was then become so awkward, and I can't help wondering whether or not shall I continue the movie~
Just watch the performance of Gary, and forget everything about the plot. Sigh.
11 This movie is about something but not Beethoven
I never thought I would see a topless woman in a film about a classical music composer, but there she was in "Immortal Beloved", with her assets clearly on display while a Beethoven piano concerto sounded over the visual scene. This, I think, sums up my opinion about this film: it is more pornography than art, more about the director's vision than about Beethoven, who did indeed have an "immortal beloved".
It's not just the porn that defeats this movie. The history portrayed in this film is nonsense. Virtually nothing is correct. Gary Oldham is an actor with little range whose career has been constructed around a number of poor, cheesy films, of which this is one. He was a terrible choice to play Beethoven, who was 5-foot 5-inches tall, had a fiery, miserable disposition, and was a misanthrope. Oldham, who is 6-feet tall, played the Titan like he was Franz Lizst, a playboy from 1850. For the record, by 1850 Beethoven had been dead 23 years!
There is one scene in this film, at the end, where Oldham -- playing the young Beethoven -- falls in a pond and the camera scans upward toward the heavens as Beethoven's "Emperor" concerto is being played. This is the one fulfilling moment in this otherwise incredibly poor film. I remember the production values being fine, so it deserves a star for that.
I heard a lot of complaining about Ken Russell's movie about Tchaikovsky, "The Music Lovers", but at least there Russell got the music right and included it in the movie with scintillating scenes of the 1st Piano Concerto and Swan Lake ballet. This one doesn't even give the viewer the benefit of a music video by Ludwig van. Pity that, for it would have given us a reason to watch. As it is, anyone that wants to know anything about Beethoven should avoid this abomination.
12 This is not Beethoven....
Beethoven is one of my favorite composers. I took an extensive Music Course dedicated to this fantastic composer. As much as I like Gary Oldman's acting, I could barely watch this film. This is not his life, this woman was not his love, this is NOT Beethoven. Watch Amadeus if you want to see a great film about a great composer. Another reviewer wrote that Beethoven deserves the same treatment as Mozart got in Amadeus. He absolutely does. He was a tremendous man, complex and misunderstood, but beloved by the ALL of Europe by the time of his death. His memory still awaits a film dedicated to his real life and tumultuous, brilliant, disturbed life.
Better spend your time watching something else.
13 A Missed Opportunity - A reluctant 1-Star
What a sad treatment for such a master! Beethoven was perhaps one of the most interesting people who ever lived and deserves (at least) the treatment that Mozart received in "Amadeus." The angle used in "Immortal Beloved" was so weak, it doesn't even come close to depicting the Maestro as he deserves. His story doesn't even need an angle. Just a straight-forward bio would have served his memory better; he was tempestous, egotistical, deaf and brilliant! This film is a dog. Please, someone, make a good movie about this great genius!
14 Go On Loving Me. Ever Yours. Ever Mine. Forever.
Having seen Immortal Beloved, I have a much stronger respect for Beethoven, as well as his contribution to this world...his music.
The movie...ahhh, the movie. My personal opinion...a masterpiece. It affects me to such a degree every time I experience it, that I always cannot leave without deep emotion on my face. How would you feel if someone opened your mind to something in an entirely new light? You never saw it that way until they showed you. This is what the film does for me. Rich cinematography, luscious locations...some untouched, that still look the way they would have looked back in Beethoven's day. A tragic love story in the best sense.
Who was Beethoven's Immortal Beloved? No one knows. But after his death a letter was found in his own handwriting, written to someone only referred to as "My Immortal Beloved." Beethoven Scholars have argued for centuries as to who this woman could be. The director, Bernard Rose, gives his interpretation of who she was, with much care in making it seem plausible. For us non Beethoven Scholars, it's simply a beautiful, tragic love story...a story that cannot help but endure the test of time.
Gary Oldman, doesn't just play Beethoven...he is Beethoven...or at least a very strong interpretation of what the man must have been like. When I watch the film, I don't see Gary Oldman...I see Beethoven. A man torn apart by hardships. Beaten by his father because he was not as brilliant a child prodigy as say, Mozart was...more that he was stubborn and unwilling to play the popular tripe of the times. Oldman shows us many sides to Beethoven...the youth, in which he is close to his brothers and a bit of a scoundrel with the ladies. But somewhere along the line, he changes into an angry, bitter old man who is mad at the world. The fact that someone like him, who should have had perfect hearing that should be, as he puts it, "a higher degree in me," is deaf and cannot hear his own music when he plays it...at least, not the way we hear it. Beethoven's deafness was not the kind where you hear silence. He heard noise...although this is speculative, many believe he suffered from a condition that caused his hearing to become more and more painful as the years followed.
One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Beethoven lowers his head onto a piano so he can hear the vibrations more powerfully. And with that he begins to play Piano Sonata No. 14 (quasi una fantasia) in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2...Moonlight Sonata, I. Adagio sostenuto. In the film it is played about twice as fast as it is normally played, never losing its allure in the process. Director Bernard Rose wanted to do this simply because he felt it grabs you more intensely when played a bit faster. An amazing scene that should be watched again and again.
Anton Felix Schindler, played brilliantly by Jeroen Krabbe, was the man who worked closest with Beethoven, at times being treated quite badly by the maestro. Jeroen plays the man as being very submissive...most of the time we only see what he's feeling through body language and eye gestures. As Ludwig discusses his music with Schindler during the very first time they meet, the look on Schindler's face as he listens to Beethoven is like a revelation...never has he heard or felt such passion and pain. He is drawn to tears. A most powerful scene that evokes the human spirit. The brilliance of Beethoven is unquestionable.
Director Bernard Rose gives many wonderful and interesting visual interpretations through Beethoven's music. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, I. Allegro con brio is used during the shelling of Vienna by Napoleon. But perhaps the most remembered is Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, IV. "Ode To Joy," in which we witness a young Ludwig, escaping from his sadistic father through his bedroom window on the 2nd floor and running away, lying on his back in a nearby lake at night. The pullback shot from straight up shows us the stars glittering all around him from the reflection in the water and continues to pull back until Beethoven disappears and is one with the stars themselves...quite symbolic.
To me, this a very special movie. The fact that the director may have taken some poetic licensing to tell the story seems justified when you are engrossed in the entire product. But many people, still to this day, dislike the movie because of that reason. But where the film, Amadeus, was mostly based on fictional storytelling, Immortal Beloved is based more on fact, which is what got it into trouble and why it was met with so many mixed reviews. I personally feel these people are just missing out on a great film and great storytelling at its best. But you be the judge...see Immortal Beloved. I guarantee you'll never be able to listen to Beethoven's music quite the same way ever again.
"Go on loving me. Ever yours. Ever mine. Forever." - Gary Oldman as Ludwig Van Beethoven
15 Beloved Beethoven: The Film That Oscar Missed
In 1994, British director Bernard Rose released "Immortal Beloved". The full-length film is now on DVD, with commentary by the director, trailers for the film, a documentary on the real life of composer Ludwig Van Beethoven and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie. It's a must have for fans of the film, which had a following mostly of music lovers or history buffs. I want to convince you that this film is Oscar worthy for Best Picture or Best Actor (Gary Oldman as Beethoven). Or it could have at least won Best Costumes. It's a terrific film that the 1995 Oscars neglected. The Academy failed to see the powerful drama of this film. It's a work of art. I don't understand how if Amadeus, a film about the fictional account of Mozart and Salieri, two music composers, could win Best Picture in 1984 (only 10 years before Immortal Beloved) why did they ignore the Oscar potential of this movie ? And Gary Oldman truly deserved recognition for his work as Beethoven. I believe that year, Tom Hanks won Best Actor for Forrest Gump, a good performance as well but Gary Oldman truly deserved it more in my opinion. Oldman (from 1992's Dracula) is a veteran British film star with many American films to his credit, an excellent actor and captivating screen presence. As Beethoven, he truly transformed himself into the very essence of Beethoven himself. Not only does he physically and anatomically look like a Beethoven brought to life on the screen, but his acting was able to tap into the spirit of Beethoven's personality. He is mercurial, he is intense, he is passionate, he is tormented, he is romantic and gentle. The film seems to indicate that Beethoven's deafness was due to the beatings his abusive father gave him as a boy. His escape of the trauma inspired his greatest work of music- the revolutionary Ninth Symphony. Like Amadeus, some of the film is fiction and fabricated simply for the sake of drama or plot. But a lot of it is true to the time of Beethoven (early 19th century 1800-1820's) and some portions remain accurate to Beethoven's career as a composer. The mysterious Immortal Beloved was true. Love letters to this Immortal Beloved were found upon Beethoven's death and to this day there are different theories on who the enigmatic lover must have been.
The film opens with Beethoven's death. Beethoven, frail and pointing towards heaven as lightning strikes, takes his final breath. This is reportedly true by an eyewitness account of the time. Afte his funeral, Jerome Krobbe's character and Beethoven's brother decide to investigate who the Immortal Beloved was by digging up as much information on the women he loved in his life. They encounter that there are three "suspects"- a divorced Countess with children (Isabella Rossalini in a great performance), Beethoven's brother's wife, or a beautiful piano student of his. The lush cinematography and vibrant location- the film was shot on location in Beethoven's native Austria- enhances the milieu of the film and it's gorgeous to look at. Authentic costumes is another superb element of the film. The scenes of Napoleon's invasion of Vienna are historically accurate as well. Beethoven and Napoleon were contemporaries and initially, tricked by Napoleon's propaganda, Beethoven believed that Napoleon's government was going to open up doors of opportunities for equal rights in a new Enlightenment. But Napoleon's promises were false and he crowned himself Emperor and his reign was totalitarian. This upset Beethoven so much that he tore off the dedication to Napoleon from his Third Symphony (Eroica).
The final portions of the film are probably the best. Beethoven, approaching old age, has trouble with his nephew Karl, who attempts suicide at one point, and is still pining over the woman he loved but could not have. Especially fatalistic was the lost encounter between the two during a rainstorm at a hotel. This is also taken straight from letters that were found and are true to Beethoven's life. Beethoven composes his final symphony- the Ninth- as he remembers his tragic childhood. He conducts the Ninth himself, eventhough he is much older, and dazzles the Vienna public with a bold new creation- the symphony with a chorus (the Ode to Joy). The film uses the music from the symphony very dramatically and effectively, visually and score-wise in the soundtrack. The soundtrack is also available on Amazon.com and is a must buy if you loved the all-Beethoven program featured in the film- his Eroica Symphony, the Moonlight Piano Sonata, The Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, The Kreutzer Violin Sonata and the Emperor Piano Concerto No. 5, which is used brilliantly as the film closes. Beethoven's Immortal Beloved reads the letter that Beethoven wrote to her on the occassion of that fateful night at the hotel, becomes emotional and visits the tomb of Beethoven. This was the actual tomb of Beethoven in Austria that is seen in the film. This film is worth watching time and again, is perfect for music appreciation courses and as already mentioned, a film that cries Oscars but that Oscar was blind to.
16 Thus he was, thus he died, thus he will live for all time...
Breathtaking...
Bravo, Mr. Rose!
17 Immortal Memory
Immortal Beloved
Bernard Rose's film Immortal Beloved portrays the tumultuous life of the musical genius
Ludwig Van Beethoven and he does so quite beautifully. The film opens with Beethoven's
funeral in March 29, 1827. His assistant and friend Anton Felix Schindler (Jeroen Krabbe) is
attempting to settle Beethoven's affairs, his Last Will and Testament. He holds a letter addressed
only to an Immortal Beloved, with it he sets out to find this mysterious woman who is to be the
sole heir to Beethoven's fortune.
The film tells of three women whom Beethoven was involved with, the first being Giulietta
Guicciardi (Valeria Golino) whom he schooled in piano for a short time and was engaged to be
married to. Their relationship ended after her father's intrusion caused an act of betrayal. The
second was Johanna Reiss (Johanna Ter Steege) Beethoven's immortal beloved. They met when
they were younger while she was involved with his brother Caspar. One night Johanna was to
meet Beethoven at a hotel, he was to arrive much later than expected so he sent a letter to her
informing her of this and of his tremendous love for her. She never received the letter and left the
hotel, heartbroken and lonely. Upon his arrival and discovery of her absence Beethoven went into
a rage. This terrible miscommunication caused Johanna to marry his brother Caspar and have a
son, Karl Van Beethoven whom was actually Ludwig's son. Johanna and Beethoven were both
aware of this. Beethoven's life began to decline after the dissolution of their relationship. He
sought to harm Johanna and after the death of his brother he was eventually successful in
obtaining guardianship of their son in a corrupt court. Beethoven ceased composing and was
determined in transforming Karl into a virtuoso. His son grew to hate him.
Schindler discovers through Beethoven's third lover, Anna Marie Erdody (Isabella
Rossellini) that Johanna is Beethoven's immortal beloved. It is from this point that the finest part
of the film begins. Johanna's realization and reading of Beethoven's letter and the memories of
him are superbly portrayed in this final piece of the story. It is clear the many women that were in
awe of this enigmatic man were in love with his incredible passion.
The production values are excellent in particular the music (of course), costumes and
direction. It was filmed in the Czech Republic and the many great shots show the country's
beauty. One particularly extraordinary shot displays Beethoven sitting on the hotel bed looking
out a storm-filled window he had smashed in a rage just moments before. This shot is completely
Gothic in style and it suggests the passion he held in his heart for Johanna. Another amazing
scene shows Beethoven at what is to be his final performance of his "Symphony number nine-Ode
to Joy". He is thinking of his childhood and his abusive father's drunken rages at him. Young
Beethoven would escape through his bedroom window onto the roof and run through the
moon-lit countryside to a pond where he would set himself afloat and disappear into the starry
night. The end of the scene is shown from an aerial view and eventually looks as though he is
floating in space amongst a gigantic sea of stars. This is extremely illustrative in showing how
Beethoven escaped (both physically and mentally) the painful childhood he experienced due to his
maniacal father who often thrashed him so hard that it caused his hearing to deteriorate and would
eventually lead to his permanent deafness later in his life. When Johanna begins to read
Beethoven's letter to her it is shown from outside a window. Schindler is outside and the camera
moves forward stopping just outside the window, we see Johanna crying as Beethoven's voice is
heard reciting the letter. This shot is excellent in its depiction of Johanna's sadness.
The costumes are wonderful, in particular the beautifully colored dresses and gowns the
women are adorned in. Beethoven's music is heard almost continuously throughout the film and
it compliments the scenes extremely well without diluting the narrative.
Overall, Immortal Beloved is a stunning piece of work. Rose's moments of directorial
brilliance and very solid characterization (you felt their pain, particularly Johanna's) are effective
in communicating to the viewer the disparity (due to the social statuses) and sadness, the mystery
and romance and most of all the passion that seemed to thrive in the hearts of so many people
during the Romantic period.
18 Awesome
I loved this movie and have watched it more times probably than any in my collection next to Braveheart. And like Braveheart, the soundtrack is as good as the film it supports.
Gary Oldman really captures this inner struggle Beethoven must have faced throughout his life. A genius in any field usually is "all there" and to mix in losing one's hearing -- main tool of a musician -- must have been maddening. Oldman acts this out flawlessly.
19 A Campy Look At Beethoven
Gary Oldman generally is very impressive in his roles, he can absorb and become the character he is playing. However, I am afraid in this role as Beethoven, he just seems like Gary Oldham "acting".
He consistently starts shaking his head as if he has Parkinson's disease as he conducts. Where does it say in history that Beethoven did this?
The costumes look as if they were rented from a Halloween store. The accents are very wooden and fake, and the acting is way too dramatic and overblown. Some scenes play out like a campy Saturday Night Live skit based on Beethoven. You can't help but laugh at some of the "serious" scenes because of the cheesy acting. Especially the fight scene where he hits the man with TB, and the man proceeds to bleed from his mouth.
If you can make through the first half of the film, which seems to drag, the second half of the film is where it gets amazing. The cinematography really takes off and there are some genuinely touching moments.
There are moments watching Beethoven execute music that are very effective. Especially when his nephew states that he (Beethoven) has gone mad, and occasionally blurts out a few notes that are the basis for a great orchestration. You will recognize the "few notes" and be floored when they are finally played out.
However this movie caters to the movie going public. Please don't be suckered into thinking everything was this lush and romantic. When in reality Tuberculosis was rampant and surroundings were dingy and unsanitary.
20 True to the spirit
Whether or not you buy this film's premise as to who Ludwig van Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved" is, one can not help being swept up in the passion and genius of this, one of history's greatest musical masterminds.
Historians may debate this Bernard Rose interpretation of Beethoven's life -- in fact, most contend the composer may never have known the love of a woman -- but Rose and actor Gary Oldman do an outstanding job of showing the passions and depth of emotion of this often tortured man, struggling with deafness, who funneled his tempestuos spirit into every note of every composition.
Immortal Beloved is not as grandiose a film as Amadeus, but manages to reveal the spirit of Beethoven through the unravelling of a mystery -- the composer's last will and testament and it's reference to an unknown "Immortal Beloved." As Beethoven's close friend embarks on a search for the mysterious love, the composer's life is revealed, bit by bit, with the maestro's music following in step as the film's soundtrack.
All in all, an inspiring film that is true to the spirit of a man whose music grew in greatness as his world around him faded into silence.
21 Thrilling rendition of Beethoven?s mystery inamorata
Ludwig van Beethoven's mystery lover is speculatively revealed in this masterpiece. Gary Oldman plays the deaf composer with heartbreaking realism in a series of flashbacks. Director Bernard Rose has created a moving portrait of this most complicated of artists.
Gorgeous film.
22 In my Top 5
This movie has no less of an impact on me today, than the first time I saw it, eight years ago. Beethoven, Gary Oldman and a heartbreaking story...what more could you want.
23 An immortally perfect film
I first came across this movie whilst surfing the internet, and based on previous reviews, i was compelled to watch it, since i had watched Amadeus, and would like to have this movie as a companion film. After a whole month of scouring most of the DVD shops for the DVD/VCD of this movie and to no avail, i ordered my copy here, and i must say that i have not regretted my purchase.
Being a music student, this film has opened the world of Beethoven to me, and thus began a greater and deeper appreciation of his sublime works. This film not only focuses on Beethoven's music, but also about his troubled love affair, his "immortal beloved", to whom he had dedicated his entire estate. I was also very impressed with Gary Oldman's remarkable and outstanding performance as the deaf composer. His versatility as an actor has truly paid off in this movie.
Be prepared for quite a few scenes in this movie that might just tear your heart apart. The scene in which Beethoven places his head on the piano, just to feel the vibrations of the piano strings as he plays the languidly beautiful "moonlight" sonata is heartwrenching, for we sense, deep down, the composer's frustration. How is it possible for a composer so talented to be unable to hear his own compositions, music that words alone cannot describe?
Director Bernard Rose surely saves the best for last. Unforgettable is the sequence where Beethoven, in the concert hall during the premiere of the Ninth Symphony, has flashbacks of his childhood, where the young Beethoven escapes from his house and runs through the woods (such wonderful scenery!) accompanied by the finale of his "Choral" symphony. Viewers will be emotionally transfixed to the screen, totally absorbed in the enrapturing music.
Last but not least, and my most favourite scene of all, is the "finale" of the movie, where the true identity of Beethoven's "immortal beloved" is revealed. The 2nd movement of the "Emperor" piano concerto is played, as an excerpt of Beethoven's letter to the Immortal Beloved is read out (by Oldman). Such passion manifested in the words, together with the searchingly beautiful Adagio and the heartwrenching scene arouse such emotion and beauty that one will inevitably reach out for a tissue.
A highly recommended movie to rewatch over and over again. Do get the soundtrack as well, with recordings done by Sir Georg Solti with the London Symphony Orchestra, and featuring guest players such as Yo-Yo Ma, Murray Perahia, Emanuel Ax and more. A unique love story that will leave us in tears, but our hearts warm and fuzzy at the end.
24 Better Than Amadeus?
This 1995 film by Bernard Rose is perhaps even better than 1984's triumphant "Amadeus" in my opinion (and let's be honest, it's impossible not to compare the two). I've always preferred Beethoven's music to Mozart's, and I just enjoy the detective story within this film better than Salieri's psychotic jealousy as he unfold's Mozart's story in Amadeus.
Gary Oldman does an incredible job of playing the aging composer. Not only is he convincing as a deaf man, but he even learned to actually play his instruments for this role with such believability. He should have received the Best Actor Oscar for this role that year. It's an incredible performance through and through.
Unlike Amadeus, which never really puts us into the mind of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, "Immortal Beloved" puts you directly into "the mental state of the composer" as you subconsciously and consciously learn about his life and career.
Besides this, there's a conscious nod to Stanley Kubrick throughout that definately warmed me to an already great film that I can't help but call the most underrated film of the 1990's.
25 Passafist Tackels Immortal Beloved
What makes a genius? Is it natural ability? Or is it the people, friends or enemies, around you the create genius? Is it you're body of work? Or is it the way people perceive your body of work? These are the questions I found myself asking while watching IMMORTAL BELOVED. An interesting if flawed motion picture.
IMMORTAL BELOVED is the life of 19th Century Composer Ludwig Van Beethoven (Gary Oldman, Leon) as told by his friends, enemies, and his lovers. Days after Beethoven's death his secretary, Anton Schindler, (Jeroen Krabbe, The Fugitive) discovers a letter that leaves everything in his will to an unknown women. She is his Immortal Beloved, and so Schindler goes on a quest to discover just whom this mystery women is.
The film can and probably is compared to two far better films, CITIZEN KANE (for it's setup) and AMADEAUS (for it's chronicle of a famous composer) and while I would never put IMMORTAL BELOVED on any list close to those films, it uses the ideas from both films in a compelling manor. As Schindler visits new people the genius of Beethoven is discovered. The Immortal Beloved, like rosebud, merely a mcguffin, an ends to a means of the plot. When you finally discover the answers, you've already kind of guessed it. But it's well worth the ride.
There are some really great moments in this film. I loved it when Beethoven plays a piano for the first time. I love has the camera shows us without telling us just how deaf Beethoven is. The pain and anguish telescoped in the music, and yet for a small moment he's happy, it's been so long since he's played and it all comes flooding back. Then everything is dashed. I also loved the thrill of Beethoven's 9th as we see a glimpse of his childhood and then we hear the silence through Beethoven's ears. These scenes are powerful and gripping, very good stuff.
Gary Oldman delivers most of the films great moments, himself. He for the most part plays against type. This film calls for him too be very introverted. His performance is kept very much at bay. When he gets a good role, Oldman fills it with so much love, this is a great perfomance.
It's the ensemble and some of the special effects that let me down. There are moments in this film that feel forced and fake. Especially early on, the first few people we meet are kind of dull. Especially Valeria Golino's (Rain Man) scenes, I love Golino but her story did very little to move the story along. I would have removed most of it. There is also this scene on a carriage, that uses some of the worst back projection ever. It pulled me out of the moment. It was so bad.
But fortunately when Isabella Rossellini shows up, the bulk of the film begins to unfold, that's when the story gets good. That's when director Bernard Rose (Candyman) begins to craft a fascinating mystery.
Being that I know very little about Beethoven, I'm not quite sure how much of this film is true. But if it is, wow what an interesting life Mr. Beethoven had. I only know his music and it's nice to see why these songs were written. This is what makes this film really great. Beethoven's music has been reproduced faithfully, and it's never wasted. What a soundtrack!
I really liked spending time with Beethoven's IMMORTAL BELOVED.
26 A joy to behold!
IMMORTAL BELOVED (USA 1994): Following the death of Beethoven (Gary Oldman), his closest friend (Jeroen Krabb) goes in search of the composer's sole heir, an unnamed woman described as his 'immortal beloved' in a faded letter which betrays their secret love affair.
Ten years after Milos Forman's AMADEUS (1984) re-introduced the works of Mozart to a general audience, IMMORTAL BELOVED adopted a similar approach to the life and times of tortured genius Ludwig van Beethoven. Written and directed by Bernard Rose (CANDYMAN), the movie uses the basic facts of Beethoven's life as the foundation of a dramatic fantasia in which the viewer is constantly overwhelmed by the sumptuous visual design. Rose's episodic screenplay relays events in flashback, as Beethoven - played by Oldman as a multilayered character, rendered increasingly bitter by encroaching deafness - is transformed by the three women who dominated his life (portrayed with dignified candor by Isabella Rosselini, Valeria Golino and Johanna ter Steege). There's also a brief digression into the tragic circumstances surrounding Beethoven's nephew (Marco Hofschneider), who was driven to an act of extreme rebellion by the composer's overreaching ambitions. The period is vividly realized via sumptuous production design (by Jir Hlup?) and expansive scope photography (by Peter Suschitzky), and Beethoven's glorious music is arranged with exquisite grace by Georg Solti, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. Standout episodes include the moment when Beethoven first plays the 'Moonlight Sonata', and the breathtaking 'Ode to Joy' sequence, framed against the backdrop of an unhappy memory from Beethoven's youth, which culminates in a moment of supreme cinematic glory, one of the most beautiful images ever filmed.
The movie runs 120m 35s on Columbia Tristar's region 1 DVD, which letterboxes the wide Panavision frame at 2.35:1 (anamorphically enhanced). Picture quality is bright, vivid and absolutely beautiful. Released theatrically in a choice of Dolby and SDDS digital soundtracks (with an 8-channel SDDS version for selected venues), the disc contains both a 2.0 and 5.1 Dolby track. While the former is perfectly adequate, the 5.1 version is often frighteningly realistic, immersing the viewer not only in Beethoven's wonderful music, but also the dramatic times in which he lived. Extras include a newly-created documentary in which several of the film's major contributors (including Oldman, Krabb, ter Steege, Golino and director Rose) discuss the film's origins and production. Rose provides a feature-length audio commentary, and there's also a trailer and talent biographies, along with English captions and subtitles for the main feature.
NB. Beethoven scholars have quibbled over the film's attempts to nail the identity of the composer's 'immortal beloved', though the disc makes it clear that Rose's conclusions amount to an educated guess, based on all available evidence at the time of production. In reality, the mystery is likely to remain unsolved until the end of time.
27 Simply Brilliant
Gary Oldman gives a tour de force performance as Ludwig Van Beethoven. The story centers around the search of the "Immortal Beloved". There were three letters Ludwig wrote, yet not mailed, that put his heart down on paper. Who was she? There is your search.
To see Ludwig place his head on the piano to hear the notes of "Adagio Sostenuto" or "Moonlight Serenade" is beyond beautiful. Bearing in mind that Ludwig can't hear, he has to "feel" the vibrations emanting from the piano. Gary Oldman simply at his his finest, as he is really playing Beethoven!
I have seen Amadeus, and it ranks as of my all time faves.....but to see the maestro Beethoven suffer, and be glorified thru his music is as close to perfection as one can ask.
I can only ask. If you were given a GREAT gift like Beethoven was....yet could not hear the notes you were composing......how would you react? After watching Gary Oldman, I can envision the great maestro himself nodding in agreement.
If you don't see this movie, you are denying one of the greatest performances by an all star cast. See this movie, see Ludwig as he was, and see the women who loved him through his difficulties.
28 Very close to a "5"
Immortal Beloved does so many things right. It weaves a thought-provoking character study into a speculative tale about the identity of a woman with whom Beethoven had fallen in love. The movie's brisk pace has much to do with a wonderful script that paints more than it tells, and with a bravura performance by Gary Oldman. The cinematography is lush and breathtaking, particularly the scenes involving Beethoven as a child. I will never forget the 9th Symphony rising in the background as the young Ludwig floats in a sea of stars. Magnificent. Likewise magnificent is the scene in which it becomes apparent that Beethoven has lost his hearing.
Immortal Beloved, in my opinion, is slightly better than Amadeus (in part because of the portrayal of Mozart that feels slightly contrived). They are both wonderful movies, though, and both worth sharing with children ten or older (or even younger, if you think they are ready for it).
29 Music and psychology...
What a waste of good music and good actors for such a depressingly melodramatic, sentimental and ridiculous movie( the plot! - the story line! - this undelicat attempt to reduce art to a product of pathology...). It's not a movie in defense of Beethoven, inspiring admiration for him, but an insult to him and to every thinking viewer and/or artist.
Unforgettable the scene where they have a walk in a "Viennese" park while there's towering the Hradschin in Prague in the background - that's not just superficial, it's cheap and offending.
No, there's nothing to compare with such great cineastic approaches to the miracle of genius like "Amadeus", "Caravaggio", "8 1/2", etc.etc.; no, it's much more in one line with "Farinelli", "Wilde", "Impromptu", "Shakespeare in love" and other silly "Great-artists-wearing-fabulous-shiny-clothes-and-funny-whigs-surrounded-by-antique-furniture" - movies.
It's an artisans work one may admire here: he tried to be convincing in recreating a past environment "around 1800" for naive viewers unacquainted with this world (gosh, these dull, i.e. unnecessary german accents - reminds me of the silly czech accents in "The unbearable lightness of being"!) while neglecting completely the interiors of the people - they talk, think, love and suffer like neurotic avarage moviegoers of the late 20th century, well: it's an unbearable banalisation of a complex life and an even more complex creative mind, it's pure marketing, Beethoven meets Jane Austen, Amadeus rents a Room with a view.
Brief: one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
30 "GARY VAN OLDMAN"
... This is a serious look inside the greatest composer. The music, acting, cinematogrphy, wardrobe, circa, directing was right on the money. This was not a biography movie piece but a look inside of a genius. I would recommend this movie over the overrated comical movie Amadeus.
31 Marriage of the man, the music, the mystery.
Lovers of classical music and of mystery are going to love this one. The "immortal beloved" mystery has baffled Beethoven scholars since his death. Beethoven lived his life alone, but among the correspondence discovered after his death is a letter to an unknown "immortal beloved." There is still no agreement about the identify of this unnamed personage to whom Beethoven wrote "I can only live completely with you or not at all". But it is the enigma behind this letter that forms the basis for the movie, and the story-line offers one solution to the mystery.
The story begins with Beethoven's death in 1827, when his personal secretary Anton Schindler discovers the mysterious letter, and undertakes a mission to uncover the identify of Beethoven's secret love, and so fulfil his dying wish and give her what was rightfully hers. As he proceeds with his investigation, viewers are treated to a series of flashbacks which take us back to moments in Beethoven's life, and the three women who knew him best.
At this point the mystery becomes an excuse to go beyond the public Beethoven into the private Beethoven, his more difficult side. With Gary Oldman contributing a remarkable performance as the eccentric Beethoven, we are shown how in reality Beethoven was a difficult problematic human being, and we receive a window into his struggle with deafness. The other characters all play inferior roles and their acting is not outstanding, but Oldman more than makes up for that. This part of the movie is brilliantly done, and there is a real sense of the frustration caused by his deafness.
In the end, the "immortal beloved" mystery is "solved". The producer offers a very unlikely solution, but a creative and satisfying one. But ultimately the mystery falls to the background and the man and his music receive center stage. This movie may not be a lasting contribution to Beethoven scholarship, but it certainly is a contribution to an appreciation of his music. The soundtrack, naturally, is pure Beethoven. And not shoddy performances or recordings either - we are treated to the London Symphony Orchestra, and soloists such as Murray Perahia and Yo-Yo Ma. But it's not a normal soundtrack where the music was composed to fit the picture. Here the reverse is true: the picture was composed to fit the music. As a result, scenes are wonderfully choreographed to the music, with scenes of romance, anger and war perfectly matched to Beethoven's mood music. By placing his music in the context of a life, even if that life is partly fictional, Beethoven's music has even more power and passion.
It's a real treat for lovers of Beethoven's music, for not only is the music brilliantly played and meshed with the plot, but there are some delightful philosophical observations about the power of music. At one point Beethoven observes: "It is the power of music to carry one directly into the mental state of the composer. The listener has no choice. It is like hypnotism." He then challenges the listener: "What was I thinking when I wrote that?" Of course every individual will imagine their own picture, but he gives the example describing a man trying to reach his lover, his carriage wheels bogged in the mud "This is the sound of his agitation." The idea is brilliant, and even if listeners today may have vastly different interpretations of what the composer was thinking, their listening experience is enriched by the idea.
Be aware that the movie contains several adult themes, including a scene involving brief nudity, violent child abuse, the suggestion of rape, a fist fight, contemplation of suicide, and a war scene. The suggestion of immorality, however, is not endorsed, because viewers are not encouraged to become like Beethoven, but merely to understand him. In the end, it's a good marriage of mystery, the man, and music. It's not all outstanding and the love story is somewhat overdone and implausible, but the rest of the movie makes it worthwhile. The mystery has a good twist in the end, and the portrayal of Beethoven the man is unforgettable. And even if even if you disagree with what "Immortal Beloved" says about the man, you can't argue with the passion of the music is portrays. Discard the historical inaccuracies, and just enjoy it for the music and its passion. Along with Oldman, the real star of this movie is the music itself.
32 A Splendid Intro To Beethoven, A Great Film
As Amadeus was a great introduction to Mozart's music, Immortal Beloved is an incredible introduction to Beethoven's music, besides being quality drama. In much the same way, it also serves as a fine historic insight on Beethoven's life and career in music. Although there has to be alterations of the truth, for the most part, Beethoven's long-suffering life and genius are masterfully portrayed. The focus of the movie, embellished by Beethoven's greatest instrumental works, is the secret identity of the "Immortal Beloved", an enigmatic woman for whom Beethoven wrote incredibly passionate letters. It is up to the viewer to decide which of the three women Beethoven was involved with is his Immortal Beloved, each woman striking in her own character, especially the Countess, played by Isabella Rossalini.
The score is all Beethoven an appropriate for the scenes. The film is lush and visually stimulating, Vienna ballrooms and palaces, the wide boulevards, the secluded gardens in a villa, the concert halls and Beethoven's music studio. The opening music, as Beethoven's funeral is under progress, is his Kyrie from Missa Solemnis, a profoundly moving choral work. The Moonlight Sonata is played when Beethoven buries his head over his piano and broods in sadness, the Kreutzer Sonata is played as Beethoven's coach speeds on a highway in the middle of a rainstorm, Beethoven's 3rd symphony as Beethoven talks about his music to his brother's sister, Beethoven's 9th symphony, with the thrilling chorus "Ode To Joy" as Beethoven reminisces about his hard-knock life as a boy and must deal with his deafness, and finally, the Fifth Piano Concerto, called the "Emperor concerto" as the final credits roll.
Quality film, striking cinema, fine performances by Gary Oldman and Isabella Rossalini, and the most beautiful music ever to grace the screen. Five stars. Check this excellent DVD out and the soundtrack which is also available at Amazon.com. It is without a question a great intro to Beethoven.
33 Best Video on Beethoven
This is the most excellent Beethoven movie I have seen you if you like Beethoven and the story of his life I recommend this movie.
34 Rotten, awful, slanderous
This is nothing more than a film about a guy named Beethoven who happened to live at the same time and in the same place as the composer. Please don't let this movie be the source of your image of the great composer. The "Beethoven" in this film is a characature of the real man. It's obvious that historical fact wasn't a concern while making this movie. The writer and director had a story that they wanted to tell and never worried once about the truth of their story. If Beethoven were alive today he would have excellent grounds for a lawsuit. I recommend "Beethoven Lives Upstairs", while based on a fictional encounter between Beethoven and a young boy, at least serves as portrait of the composer consistent with historical accounts.
At least the film Amadeus had a good literary excuse for the liscense it took with Mozart's life. Not this film.
I recommend a good book or two on the composer instead. "Thayer's Life of Beethoven" and another book, whose title escapes me, but something along the lines of "Beethoven, recollections by his contemporaries (published by Dover books). Pass on this movie !!!
35 The Music Is The Story
This review refers to the Special Eition DVD (Columbia) of this film
The "Maestro" has died. It is a sad day in Vienna. But the question remains, who will inherit the estate of Ludwig Von Beethoven? His surviving brother believes he is entitled to it all. Is he? A letter is found amongst Beethoven's papers bequeathing everything to the addressee. It is addressed only to "My Immortal Beloved". Beethoven's freind and confidante Anton Schindler makes it his duty to find the woman, the maestro has kept secret all these years.
As Schindler combs all of Eastern Europe searching for the mystery woman, the story of Beethoven's life unfolds, as at each stop,Schindler and the women in question exchange their experiences and what they know. We learn of how the world learned of his deafness, of his abusive childhood at the hands of his father, his relationship with these women, his hatred for his brother's wife, his adoration for his nephew Carl, and of his dark temperment.
Throughout the film, there is always the music of Beethoven. The music seems to fit the exact emotion that he is experiencing. Love, saddness, anguish, ravages of war,freedom. It is as though the music is telling the story of his life. You don't have to be a Beethoven afficianado to appreciate this. As a matter of fact this film is an excellent introduction to the music of Beethoven.The scene depicted while his 9th symphony(Ode to Joy) is playing is sheer pleasure to all the senses. Be sure to have a box of tissues ready for the end!
The music of course stands on it's own, and the cast is incredible in their portrayals. Gary Oldman IS Beethoven, Jeroen Krabbe(The Fugituve, No Mercy) is Schindler. As the women in Beethoven's life there is Isabella Rossellini, Valeria Golina(Rainman), and Johanna Ter Steege. Director Bernard Rose does an excellent job of taking us back to this time in history. The photography is breathtaking also.
What a great DVD it is. Well worth having. The 5.1 digitally remastered score is wonderful(You have the choice of 2.0 also) Dialouge crisp. Picture in Anamorphic Widescreen is sharp, colors are bright. Great Special features too. There is a documentary, and you can listen to director Rose's commentary during the film (this is best after the first viewing),he talks about everything from what is actually true, to the style of clothing worn during this period. There are also subtitles in English and Spanish and some production notes.
Film fan or Music fan you will watch this over and over....Laurie
36 Gary Oldman **IS** Beethoven
Gary Oldman **IS** Beethoven.
I loved this film. The acting, the music, the story.
It is one of my 3 most favorite films of all time.
37 My all-time favorite movie
A longtime (20 years) Beethoven fan, I was very sad I missed this on the big screen and happened upon it in the video store shortly after its release. The first night I saw it, I loved it completely. Being familiar with the music is not necessary as the setting of the film as the music is played is enough to immerse you in this wonderful film. The plot, suspense, music, acting, environment and even the German accents in the words spoken give a truly amazing feel that you are there. I found the idea for the progression of this movie about Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved" well thought out (based on some of the readings I have done speculating on the possible love in Beethoven's life), and superbly put to film. Oldman is simply astounding and the supporting cast fantastic.
It is a must see for Beethoven fans, classical music fans...and certainly for those romantics out there. It will truly tug at your heart.
38 symphonized
I truly enjoyed it. The music is great and if you like classical music you'll love it. Every Gary Oldman movie I've seen I enjoyed. Even though the story is fictional it keeps you interested throughout. I truly recommend it.
39 An interesting speculation movie
Have you ever seen Amadeus? If you have, then you've basically seen the plot and style of this movie. This movie tries to re-create the life of Beethoven from his youth to his death and speculates on his love life, the "Immortal Beloved" in some of his writings.
I don't want to give the plot secrets away, but you'll find the way that the pieces connect intriguing. It has you wondering for most of the film. And the director tries to weave together the music Beethoven creates with the events in his life, and the Beloved. To me, that was a bit of a stretch.
One area the movie handles very well is the descent of Beethoven's mood and demeanor as he becomes increasingly deaf and frustrated. The only mistake (but you'll understand why they did it) that I know of is in handling the first performance of the 9th symphony. But it is forgivable. :-)
Overall, this is a good movie, and a bit romantic. If you enjoy classical music you'll have an extra bit of enjoyment.
40 EXCELLENT - AWSOME!!
Man, this movie was the best, one of the most passionate, suspense ever. I mean, I'm a big movie buff, but this was by far one of the best love stories I've ever seen ----and I don't really like love stories. I recommend this to everyone, male and female.
41 Wonderful film
Unfortunately, period films are few and far between these days. On the bright side, there are some gems, such as this one here. It grabbed my attention because of two things: not only was it a period film, it was another film about one of my very favorite composers (the other, of course, being "Amadeus"). This film uses somewhat the same technique used in "Amadeus"; that is, it is told entirely in flashback and the composer (in this case, Beethoven) provides the basis for the plot. Again as in the other film, the composer's music also plays an important role. The director chose to use different pieces to illustrate the action, and it comes out quite beautifully.
The plot is intriguing as well. At the beginning, Beethoven dies and leaves a mysterious letter to his "Immortal Beloved". His last will states that all of his music and property shall go to this woman. His friend and former secretary, Schindler, takes it upon himself to interview three women who were most involved romantically with Beethoven to try and determine which of them is the unknown Beloved.
The film is based partly on fact. The ending, of course, is based on speculation. I liked the way they handled Beethoven's character. They made several points throughout showing how his deafness could have affected him. Seeing that made me feel a lot for him. One of the best scenes HAS to be where he plays the "Moonlight" Sonata--even though it's a movie, I think it's through this scene that you can realize how talented Beethoven was.
42 They got Beethoven's spirit right!
OK, this movie does take liberties with the facts and engages in quite a bit of historical conjecture however, they got the most important part about Beethoven right: his indefatigable spirit! This beautifully shot and acted film achieves something that is rare in musical bio-pics, that is, it manages to communicate why Beethoven has continued to inspire generations of music lovers. That he could write the transcendant glory that is the Ninth Symphony after what he had suffered through in his life is a marvel that is brought vividly to life by Gary Oldman and the writer and director of this film. Sure, it would have been better to get the straight poop on Beethoven's life but you just have to forgive a movie that is so beautifully well done and so rapturously uplifting. I urge you to see "Immortal Beloved" -even if you're not a Beethoven fan, it may just convert you.
Highly recommended
43 Deeply flawed, but has its moments
Who was Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved"? In 1811, Beethoven fell deeply in love with Antonie Brentano, the wife of a friend. By 1812 the two were embroiled in a full-blown affair, and Antonie offered to leave her husband and four children for him. Scholars believe that it was to her that Beethoven wrote the famous "Immortal Beloved" letter, in which he begged her not to destroy her family, but at the same time to keep loving him. Antonie did not oblige; the relationship ended soon afterward. Beethoven sought refuge at his brother Nikolaus's house, only to find that Nikolaus was having an affair with the housekeeper. Apparently on the theory that if he couldn't have love, his brother shouldn't either, he attempted to break up their relationship by going so far as reporting it to the police. The brothers came to blows, and Nikolaus married the housekeeper anyway. They never spoke again.
Bernard Rose's film speculation on the identity of the "Immortal Beloved" conflates these two separate crises in Beethoven's life, making the hated sister-in-law the secret lover. There is nothing wrong with that; it makes for a more dramatic story, and the film doesn't pretend to be, and isn't required to be, an accurate account of Beethoven's life. But the film is deeply flawed. Its disjointed flow, told from too many points of view and going off in too many directions, its excruciating length, and its failure to explain Beethoven's music (an essential part of the man) all lead to annoyance rather than enjoyment. I remember commenting to my husband after seeing the film in the theater that it was all about Beethoven NOT writing music, except for the Ninth Symphony. Indeed, Rose might have found it challenging to relate Beethoven's emotional crises to the music he was writing at the time, because in real life, all during the doomed affair and the wrenching dispute with his brother, Beethoven was writing the witty and good-natured Eighth Symphony. Like all great artists, Beethoven was a paradox, and this film could have been a better one had it explored that part of his nature.
That said, the film had a few inspired moments that are, frankly, unforgettable, and that have led me to want to own it on DVD despite my overall disappointment. For me, these were the scenes where Beethoven's deafness is revealed to his stunned sweetheart and her father; where, as a child, he is running for his life to escape his abusive father and leaps into the water, where he floats among the reflected stars; and where the Beloved is glimpsed through a window, weeping. There are a couple of others, but these were the very best. And, of course, Gary Oldman's performance is superb, the rest of the actors were nearly as good, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the music is unbeatable (I have no complaint about it being overused - it's too beautiful).
In short, as other reviewers here have noted, "Amadeus" is a far better film of this genre. "Immortal Beloved" is worth a look, but only if you have time and patience.
44 An excellent film !!!!!!!!!!!
A captivating movie starting Gary Oldman who portrays the deaf composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. The movie focusses on Beethoven's secretary who is trying to find out whom Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved" is; for she is the rightful owner of his estate. This task isn't easy for Beethoven had many lovers during his lifetime. As the secretary goes from door to door, each mistress has a different persepective of Beethoven and a story to tell. Immortal Beloved was well performed and the portrayal of Beethoven in this aspect is definately worth viewing. An excellent film.
45 Perhaps the greatest ever true life love story
Immortal Beloved may not be an historically accurate film but neither does it claim to be.
What it does capture, is the romance and passion of a revolutionary composer. Whether or not it is truly plausible who the film suggests could have been his Immortal Beloved is not important.
This is not a biographical piece but a theory based attempt to uncover what may have been one of the greatest 'real-life' love stories.
Although many have an educated idea as to who Beethoven's great love may have been, the truth shall never be known.
The scenery and direction in this film is colourful and visually stunning. Set on the backdrop of one of Europe's most beautiful cities, Vienna.
Gary Oldman is hypnotic as the much-admired maestro. His performance alone is worth the viewing.
46 Beethoven It Ain't, But Movie-Making It Is
No. You won't learn about the truth of the identity of Beethoven's eponymous title from this marvelous film, told in cinematic episodic jumps, fits and starts and from various points of view each based on an 'interviews' by Anton Schindler afer Ludwig Von Beethoven's death. The plot, at least insofar as the revelation of the true lady behind the tortured Maestro's love, is just so much hooey.
But the evolution of Beethoven as a composer might just be fairly valid, if exaggerated and oversimplified. Beethoven's growing deafness, his outrageously overprotective attitudes towards his nephew (culminating in a botched suicide attempt by the latter), the invasion of Vienna, are all documented and presented in this gorgeous film with, at times, heartbreaking verisimilitude.
And, you will probably never again hear many of Beethoven's most famous pieces without recalling the images of the film. The last movement of the famous 'Moonlight' piano sonata accompanies a furiously rushing coach through the rainy streets so Beethoven can meet his beloved; an image of the composer superimposed against the cosmos accompananies the Ninth Symphony (Choral). And so much more.
Gary Oldman as the composer is perfect. Jeroen Krabbe is just right as his Boswellian friend who seeks the truth at all costs after Beethoven's death.
The settings are sumptuous. You will appreciate the cutting and the editing more and more as the film progresses. Ditto the superb direction. The score is magnificently realized by both orchestra and conductor and pianist, chamber musicians, all involved.
Reality? Nope. A tantalazing suggestion of what might have realistically been? That's more of what you can expect. If you want reality, I suggest you take George R. Marek's unsurpassable biography, 'Beethoven,' out of the library and luxuriate in it.
'Immortal Beloved' is a cinematic experience that will most likely appeal to lovers of classical music in general and Beethoven's music in particular. But this statement should not put off anyone who is not necessarily a fan. If anything, the more casual listener might just be entranced enough to understand why Beethoven and his music have lasted through the centuries.
This is a film for all of us.
47 Gary Oldman does it again!
This was a fantastic film, though, it was not as great as expected. Gary Oldman(Bram Strokers Dracula), of course, delivers noting less then a five-star performance! Powerful soundtrack, and interesting theory as to who was the Immortal Beloved - which still remains a mystery to this day. This film has its ups and downs, as does Amadeus - which makes it hard to pick 'the best'. I say they're both equally good. They just have different approaches to telling the story. But once again, It's Gary Oldman's performance as Beethoven, that really makes this film powerful, and you should check it out just for that reason! I highly recommend.
48 Immortally beautiful film
I have seen this film countless times. After my first viewing in January 1995 at the theatre I felt that gary oldman deserved to get an oscar for his performance as Beethoven and the film should have easily received the osacr for best movie. however, the film was very quietly received by the public at large; on the other hand, it has generated an almost cult following among Beethoven fans. The story is based on the biographical account of Schindler and offers one of sevarl possible versions of beethoven's private life. Quite apart from any inaccuracies the film is wonderfully shot and one of the final scenes that mixes excerpts of Beethoven's childhood, his father and the first performance of the 9th simphony is amazingf.. Critics complained that the music, performed by Georg Solti - who makes a camei appearnce as the conductor of the 9th, was performed according to 20th centurt standards and instruments, rather than the less evolved varieties of Beethoven's day. i found that to be completely irrelevant. The point is that the music written almost 200 years ago played on whatever instrument will osund u equivocally beautiful. The film is very romantic but never sirupy or oinctuos. Immortal Beloved is Amadeus ' equal in beauty and effect. The soundtrack of course speaks for itself.
as a side note those familiar with Tolstoy's short story 'The Kreutzer Sonata' will find some familiar material. The fact that Bernard Rose directed the film version of Anna Karenina only 2 years later -- with a beautiful soundtrack of Rachmaninov, tchaikovsky and other Greats -- does not surprise me and suggests that Mr. Rose has excellent taste in music, literature and loves beauty in general. I look forward to his next work
49 (...)
(...)While I love "Amadeus" purely for Mozart's music and what the film did for that music, it is so inaccurate in its depiction of Mozart's life. "Immortal Beloved" is more of a theory type move than "Amadeus" and it is, in fact, more accurate (where it needs to be) than "Amadeus" is.
"Immortal Beloved" does not pretend to be an accurate tell all story about Beethoven and his life. It is a "theory" film. When Beethoven died, he left his entire estate to his "Immortal Beloved". That is fact - and no one knows for certain who this woman was. This movie is a story (theory) about who this woman could be. Although I doubt the outcome is real, it is very interesting.
Where the film hits home is its depiction of Beethoven as a man terrified of a world discovering his secret deafness. In life, Beethoven compared taking a deaf composer as seriously as one would take a blind painter. He wrote his final symphony (#9) while completely deaf. During his life, he was viewed as a cruel, cold-hearted man. This film does a wonderful job in showing a more real picture of the man behind the music. A passionate, lonely, terrified man.
The highlight of this film for me is the music. Before I saw this film - the Piano Concerto No. 5 - Emperor was my favorite non-opera piece. The usage of that piece in this film blew me a way and heightened my love and appreciation for. I cannot listen to the 2nd mov't without tearing up and imaging the scene that accompanies it in the film. That is one of my favorite scenes in all of cinema. That could not have possibly picked a better piece of music to accompany the heartfelt, powerful scene.
The acting, setting, and direction are wonderful as well. This film has no shortcomings in any form. It has to be taken for what it is and what it is intended to be. Just like “Amadeus”.
It does not pretend to be anything more than it is, unlike "Amadeus" - a movie where real events were changed in favor of drama and box office receipts. "Amadeus" is one of my favorite films because of its music - but its story (at certain points) is downright inaccurate and despicable!
50 Beethoven deserves better
The person who defends this movie by saying "it's not a documentary" and likening it to Amadeus has it wrong - Amadeus was a big, sumptuous, blockbuster movie that celebrated and totally captured the spirit and style of Mozart, with an exquisite, evocative performance by Tom Hulce as its centerpiece. This movie, by contrast, is insignificant, trivial and the real story is far more interesting than the kitschy fable portrayed on film. We learn next to nothing about Beethoven the man, and he comes across as basically some pathetic weirdo. Now granted, Beethoven was a truly peculiar fellow; I am not trying to deny that. But I have read several biographies, many letters and conversation books, and played many piano sonatas and I know that there is much more to Beethoven than the tortured ogre portrayed in this film. It is caricature, and Gary Oldman probably should not be blamed, as this is how the character appears to be written. It's an entertaining film as far as it goes, but definitely not Beethoven's "Amadeus." That is still to come. I'm writing it. Wish me luck :)
51 Perfect
This is one of my favorite movies. You will fall in love with the romance of Beethoven played wonderfully by Gary Oldman. This look into Beethoven's soul, whether the story is true or not, is hypnotisingly beautiful. If you love Beeethoven as I do, it will make you love him even more. Beethoven was not a crude monster like a lot of history books say he was. He was a genius, who was tormented by the fact he wasn't a perfect child prodigy like Mozart was. Also, it was frustrating beyond belief to become deaf at such an early age, in the prime of his career, and not be able to hear the beautiful music he was making. It wasn't the story about the search for his beloved I found myself following, it was the story of his personal turmoil, triumphs, and trivails. Gary Oldman was a perfect Beethoven, he had enough torment and sex appeal to attract me to his character. If you don't own this you should!!
52 Gary Oldman Makes this Film Work
Film biographies of great musicians are nothing if not a mixed bag. Of course the sound tracks are nearly always excellent, but the plots range from good (occasionally) to abominable (all too often). Milos Foreman's Amadeus demonstrates the former, while a host of films, worst of all Ken Russell's The Music Lovers (Tchaikovsky) bring up the rear. Immortal Beloved might be only a small bit better, in spite of an interesting plot, except for one outstanding factor. Gary Oldman's portrayal of Beethoven is wonderful. Oldman is one of those actors who lacks the name recognition that he deserves because he acts so well that only his character is memorable. In Immortal, he brings an exceptional force to Beethoven as a man past his brilliant prime and at the very limit of rationality. When one sees the power yet subtlety he uses in doing so, it's difficult to forget how inferior most film acting is today by comparison. I recommend the film heartily for that reason alone.
53 In the Tradition of Amadeus
Like Milos Forman's Amadeus, Immortal Beloved is a film that looks into the possible true life of the composer; in this case the last events of his life and the mysterious letter addressed to his Immortal Beloved. Beethoven did in fact address such a letter and will to a mystery woman. His brother undergoes an extensive investigation. He follows Beethoven's career through flashbacks discussing Beethoven with Isabella Rosselini (the Countess) and a former lover of Beethoven, and through his brother's beautiful fiancee and later wife, to whom Beethoven also loved. Set in Vienna but shot in the Czek Republic, the scenery of the many palaces and country homes are exquisite. The highlights of course is the music, wonderfully performed by star violinists Yo-Yo Ma, conducted by Geoge Solti and the London Philharmonic. If you love the movie, you will have to get the soundtrack. From his Piano sonatas (Moonlight and Pathetique), to his concertos(No. 5 Emperor) and his symphones (Eroica, 5th and the Ninth) it is a great film that encompasses the passion, the drama and the turbulence of the Napoleonic age, as well as Beethoven's own troubled life as a deaf and tragic composer. A must see if you loved Amadeus. A great scene utilizes the "Ode To Joy" Beethoven's most famous work, and we are instantly in his mind, feeling his deafness and his heartache. As for the identity of the Immortal Beloved, watch the film as the mystery unfolds. A five star film.
54 you can always just close your eyes and listen to the music
Ludwig van Beethoven has died and bequeathed his estate to an unnamed woman. This is the tantalising premise for director Bernard Rose's film, and for it's first half it's compelling and beautifully made. Then Rose blows it, with a red herring about Beethoven's adoption of his brother's son, and though we do eventually return to the search, this misguided structure loses the audience. Fortunately, Rose floods the soundtrack with that glorious music. Rose coached a magnificent performance out of Virginia Madsen in Candyman, and does the same thing here for Valeria Golino, Isabella Rosellini, and to a lesser degree, Johanna Ter Steege. These women's eyes and skin and voices are shockingly intimate. As Beethoven, Gary Oldman looks right but is all externals. He bases his performance on the composer's deafness, turning him into a tormented neurotic which undermines Rose's romantic conceit (though isn't it always the miserable ones who creates things of great beauty?). Rose has eerie fun with acoustics, giving us Ludwig's distorted perspective, although he lacks the tabloid sensibility to match Ken Russell's flamboyant bio's. Russell too supported the exclusively autobiographical notion of an artist's work and Rose even makes the deafness Freudian. The stunning opening scene with crowds grasping for the coffin is evidence of Beethoven as pop star.
55 Awesome Movie
This was a fantastic movie. I recommend it highly.
56 Who promised you a documentary?
A lot of people have criticized this movie due to it's historical innacuracies. I am curious as to whether or not they had the same reaction to "Amadeus" (which is also based on a grand premise that has been dismissed by most historians.) Still not satisfied? Okay then, how about this... no one billed this film as a documentary. Like "Amadeus" it uses well known facts to weave a fantasy. If the producers are to be criticized, then let us now and forever more abandon the realm of historical fiction, and declare the area off-limits. Hollywood will surely not comply. Beethoven's personality itself was the stuff of rumor and legend, and many of us (myself included) place him on a gilded throne, and are unwilling to accept a portrayal of him that is (as is presented in this film) not without his serious human flaws. (If you think the guy didn't have issues, check out the biography by Maynard Solomon.) We want to LIKE Beethoven, and many scenes in this movie make it hard for us to sympathize with him. Our hero brought low... oh the horror. I think this film has taken him from the ivory tower and laid him out like a tragic Greek hero, who's passions become the source of his undoing. Yes, it was hard to watch. I do not know If I could watch it again, but I appreciate it. It is a fictional tale meant to give a more human interpretation of a man we hold in pristine glory. That's it.... an interpretation. Don't buy it if you don't want to. Keep in mind, though, that none of us knew the Maestro personally.
57 The Immortal Beethoven Comes To Life
Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the greatest composers-- some would say THE greatest-- in the history of the world. But what of the man himself? His passions, his loves? The humanness behind the genius? "Immortal Beloved," written and directed by Bernard Rose, examines the man behind the music in a dramatization focusing on the mystery behind a letter-- written by Beethoven-- found among his effects after his death in 1827. The letter bears no name or address, but was written to a woman to whom he refers as his "immortal beloved," with nary a clue as to her identity. But in his final will, it is she to whom he bequeaths his estate, and it therefore falls to Beethoven's secretary, Anton Schindler (Jeroen Krabbe), to unravel the mystery and discover her identity. And as Schindler pursues his quest, a portrait of Beethoven, in his most human aspect, emerges. Reminiscent of the approach taken by Orson Welles with "Citizen Kane," Rose presents a riveting study of the enigmatic genius that was Beethoven. He suggests a man driven by passion and ego, who was under appreciated during his lifetime (as great artists often are), and who grew bitter in the wake of the slings and arrows fate so surreptitiously hurled at him. The great irony of his life, of course, was the deafness that deprived him of the aural beauty of his own creation, an affliction Rose implies was brought about through the brutality of a drunken father who would beat his son about the head and ears (And in retrospect, what a testimony to his genius, that he could write such music in his head without ever hearing an actual note). As Beethoven, Gary Oldman gives an outstanding performance, one for which he should have received acclaim that somehow was never forthcoming. His ability to create a total character, with such incredible emotional depth as he does here, is astounding. It's puzzling as to why so many of his performances are overlooked, especially at Oscar time. Besides this film, consider his work in "Sid and Nancy," or more recently in "The Contender." He is simply a tremendous actor who has yet to have his day in the sun. As Beethoven, he so completely immerses himself in the character that his soul is veritably reflected in his eyes. You feel the silent world in which he was confined for most of his life, and it allows you to identify with the inner turmoil with which he had to cope and endure without respite. Most importantly, Oldman makes you feel that unabashed passion that motivated and drove Beethoven on. It's quite simply a remarkable performance. Turning in notable performances as well are Isabella Rossellini, as Anna Marie Erdody, one of the women in Beethoven's life who may or may not have been the one to whom the letter was intended, and Johanna ter Steege, as Johanna, Beethoven's sister-in-law and the mother of his beloved nephew, Karl (Marco Hofschneider). The supporting cast includes Miriam Margolyes (Nanette), Barry Humphries (Clemens), Valeria Golino (Giulietta), Gerard Horan (Nikolaus), Christopher Fulford (Casper), Alexandra Pigg (Therese) and Luigi Diberti (Franz). Beethoven's renown today, of course, exceeds even mythological proportions, which often facilitates the blending of fiction with fact. But with "Immortal Beloved," whether or not the finer points are historically accurate or not is of little consequence, for at it's heart this is a love story that is engrossing drama that is altogether transporting. It's a memorable film, highlighted by Oldman's performance and, of course, the music. And there are a number of scenes, as well, that are unforgettable and demand mention. One depicting the debut performance of the "Ode to Joy," and another in which the young Beethoven (played by Leo Faulkner) runs at night through the streets of the city to escape his drunken father (Fintan McKeown), coming at last to a lake, into which he wades to float on his back; and with the camera positioned directly above, looking down upon him, a billion stars are reflected in the water around him. Then slowly the camera pulls back until the young Ludwig blends with the reflected stars to seemingly take his place among all the brightest lights of the firmament. It's a scene that will leave you breathless and remain etched in your memory forever. And it's but one of the more astounding moments from an astounding motion picture that absolutely must not be missed.
58 Do not believe this movie.
This movie is totally garbage. Not one thing in this movie is historically correct. This does not come close to the other composer movie "Amadeus" which depicts Mozarts life. Do not come out of watching it thinking you learned something of Beethoven, except how his music sounds. It is obvious that the writers didn't consult any of the numerous historians that focus on Beethoven alone. As a music major, I am completely disgusted with this film
59 Eternally entertaining
No matter how many times I watch this performance by Gary Oldman as Ludwig van Beethoven, I am captived. As Oldman draws you into the life of this amazing man, you'll find yourself as odds with the man, but intensely enjoying the ride! Passionate in everyway...very entertaining.
60 My angel, my all, my other self
Great, heart-wrenching story, whether fictionalized or not. Big bold music, great visuals. Nice DVD extras. In my top 10 musicals category.
61 Immortal......truly beloved
This protrayal of Beethoven and his most moving music is immortal. The story of his deep passion and how he was able to capture the emotions of his life through music is beyond human comprenshion. Truly a most wonderful and beloved movie.
62 I loved this movie
I have to say that I absolutely loved this movie. It reaches every emotion and the music is beautiful. A must see.
63 Emily K's Beloved Review
This movie is beautiful. It made me appreciate the music of Beethoven so much more. Immortal Beloved tells the story behind his music, and you are introduced to one of his other talents: the letters he wrote are exquisite. The movie affects you for days and really leaves you thinking about the irony of life. I wasn't interested in seeing this movie, but my friend convinced me, and I hope that this review will do the same for someone else.
64 A Great Film.
"Immortal Beloved" is the greatest film ever made about the greatest of all composers, Beethoven. Bernard Rose's film is a masterpiece in its own right, a rich tapestry of love and genius mingled together. It is a passionate film, that clearly understands and feels not only the music, but the mind of a genius like Beethoven. So what if a lot of the material may be fictional? So what? The movie is still brilliant, moving and unforgettable. The photography is rich, the music grand and voluptous (of course, it's Beethoven's music!) and the performances are always convincing. Gary Oldman brilliantly plays Beethoven. There's also a tenderness, a sweetness to the story, which shows that yes, even grumpy geniuses who only live in their own worlds composing beautiful music fall deeply in love. Rose takes us into the world of Beethoven. The ending is also surprising and convincing, you'll never guess who the immortal beloved is. "Immortal Beloved" as a whole is beautiful, grand, hypnotic, exquisite and brilliant. Beethoven himself would be proud. It is a must-see for music lovers, art lovers and people who simply love a great love story put on film. Nice flick to see for a couple. If there is one movie that displays what falling in love is for a genius, "Immortal Beloved" is it.
65 Simply immortal
Despite what some people may think of this movie, I really feel that it was a great movie. The music is incredible and goes very well with the story. It could be compared to Amadeus, but that really would not do it justice, the stories are completely different. Immortal Beloved is also an opportunity for people to see that these great composers were the rock stars of that era. I would recommend this to anybody, even if they don't like classical music.
66 Ludwig van B.
As a fan of Beethoven's music, I really enjoyed this movie. G.Oldman is the best we could have found ! Phisically, he looks very close to Beethoven (especially for his hair-cut), and his acting, WHILE BEING DEAF, is remarcable. I would have rather prefered a film on Beethoven's life, but it doesn't matter. I recommend this movie very much.
67 Wasted Opportunity
Sophomoric and totally non-historic. This is an almost OK movie about one of the greatest men who ever lived. Beethoven's life is too important to let this movie rest as his biography on film. Nobody who knows anything about Beethoven the man or about Beethovens music could like this movie. The three women in question weren't even contenders, especially his sister-in-law Johanna, who he despised. Beethoven is written as a freakish eccentric. Gary Oldman's performance is superficial and cartoonish. The sets are nice, the costumes are nice, the music is nice, but so what? You get that in any period film. The greatest composer of all time deserves a great movie honoring his life. Oh please God, give us a second chance!
68 Wonderful, passionate, absorbing
I have seen this video at least 4 times. I only wish I could have seen it when it was on the Big Screen. I used to dismiss classical music, for the most part, until I saw "Immortal Beloved." I have both CDs issued from the film, and consequently have become an ardent Beethoven fan. This is an absorbing drama, and Gary Oldman is absolutely wonderful as Beethoven, along with Isabella Rosselini as the countess. I have since learned that there may be more fiction than fact to this film, but it doesn't detract from "Luddy's" genius or his music, or his very sad life. Just a great film.
69 A Brilliant Masterpiece
Beethoven was a troubled man, and nothing short of a genius. He was insufferable and insulting to few that new him, but his music was loved(and still is) by many. What could make a man so bitter? so cold? The answers are investigated in this mystery.
Upon his death, Beethoven's will is found and all possessions are left to an un-named "Immortal Beloved". We slowly learn that Beethoven once had a heart, and was in love, until they left him. Not only are we introduced to Beethoven's pure genius, but his emotions as well. Beethoven was not a God, but a man... as vulnerable as any other. This movie is a tearjerker, with one of the most ironic, unpredictable endings of all time. We learn much about Beethoven... while in search of his "Immortal Beloved".
70 Gary Oldman puts on the show
An excellent tale of romance, lost loves, and a man with a hidden talent, a talent for music. Gary Oldman opens up the character of Ludwig Von Beethoven as it has never been seen before by the general audience. I think that Oldman did a superb job in transforming into the grumpy musician. Even though other reviews have stated that his performance was stereo-typical in reference to the ways other films have portrayed Beethoven, but I think that Oldman gave it his best shot, and came out very well in fact. Critics must remember that Beethoven was an isolated man, in his own world of music, he would stagger around the room acting strange, because he heard a note inside his head and couldn't get it out untill he put it on paper. He was deaf, and he did get angry very easily, and did throw chairs out his window, the only reason he did this was because he was sp frustrated, frustrated that he couldn't express himself the way he wanted to, but yes Hollywood has had the trend of making him an old grizzly man, but I guess that is the way some directors view him.
71 Quantitative Evaluation
Video Merits:9/10; Audio Merits:8/10; Musical Merits:10/10; Cinematographic Merits:8/10; Overall Artistic Performance:10/10;DVD Extras:8/10; Recording Total Quality:9/10. Professor's Recommendation: Beethoven- Sir George Solti-Gary Oldman and B.Rose tetralogy yields a magnificient title.
72 Moving and Suductive
I Loved this movie and It is One of my very favorites, Gary Oldman will steal your heart with his wonderful portrayal of beetoven. With it's beautiful scenery and even greater music the movie is revolved beetoven's "Immortal Beloved" and the search for which of 3 women only one did he truly love.
73 One of the Best Scenes in All of Film
Despite whatever anyone says about the rest of the movie, the almost-final scene featuring the "Ode to Joy" is the best expression of the transcendent passion of creativity ever produced on film. The video is worth buying for that scene alone. Gary Oldman is great, the story is fascinating -- although no one actually believes it to be historical, it's still a fascinating account of the personality of a genius.
74 Nice Try But No Cigar
I enjoyed the scenery, music, and some of the attempts to frame Beethoven's music in relation to things that may or may not have happened in his life. Where this film left me cold, not counting the historic conjecturing, was with Oldman's overly romantic and somewhat incoherent performance. Staggering around like a mad man and looking with glazed eyes like someone possessed, I felt this was the stereotypical view of the tortured artist. Instead of attempting to really reveal what may have been the mindset behind the incredible music this man was able to produce, we get the usual Hollywood fluff. Here was a man who took music to a completely new level, who constructed works that will live forever, and we never get to see him actually composing or working. I did like the scene with him, as a boy, running through the woods while the Ninth Symphony soars in the background. What I wanted was more substance. Finally the make-up was atrocious. Beethoven looked more like a walking version of the Picture of Dorian Grey in this movie, aging so grotesquely I though I was watching Tales from the Crypt at the end. He was only 56 when he passed away yet they had him looking like he at least 90. Normally make-up doesn't distract me, but here it seemed so obvious and fake. I could go on but the essential thing for me was, interesting but the definitive movie on Beethoven has not yet been made.
75 Romantic
This movie, although grossly misintreprets parts of beethovens life, is not intended to be a play by play biography. Many of the factors about beethoven's life were kept true to form but others, as with all hollywood film, were fictionalized to make an interesting show. That it did. It is a wonderful romance movie with a very unexpected ending.
76 Ludwig Van Beethoven
Bravo to director, Bernard Rose! :) A splendid achievement! Oldman was awesome and the music, scenery and other actors were fantastic! There is a bit of misconception of Ludwig's life with the women, however, who are we to judge? Did we know him? :-o GREAT MOVIE!
77 The Maestro Deserves Much Better!
Having resisted this film for several years, I finally gave it a try. My verdict: missed very little. Yes, the scenery is splendid, and Krabbe a passable Schindler. Wonderful to see locations so close to what van Beethoven himself must have experienced. And his gravesite. But as much as I respect and admire Oldman - and that is considerably - he is simply wrong for the part of van Beethoven. Try as he does, he is physically and intellectually and tempermentally miscast. But even if this were not the case, Immortal Beloved is far too soap opera-like to do justice to its subject. There are far too many scenes and reaction shots that try hard for drama and empathy only to achieve bathos. They need van Beethoven's Apollo as much as his Dionysus! How unfortunate that a project dedicated to one of the greatest of all artists should have been so sophomorically executed. An Amadeus wannabe. I leave the question of historical accuracy to others -- though I was quite disappointed not to have found criticism of that nature here in Amazon already. The denouement seems a clumsy device -- though I did find it touching (though, again, not well handled) - and essentially a cheat. Would that it were true! Anyhow, I continue to wait for a real biography of the Maestro - one truly worthy of him in his heights and depths. Next time it might be nice to actually depict the world's greatest composer doing some composing: involved in the mental and spiritual process of creating world-changing music. The lovers and nephew and so on should follow after that. And next time, leave out the over-produced over-dubs and use some period, location recordings...Versimilitude,please!
78 An insult to genius
This film is a gross misrepresentation of the great composer. Ludwig Van Beethoven has been Hollywood-ized beyond recognition. If not for the superb acting of Gary Oldman as Beethoven the film would have been loathesome and repellent. Beethoven was not a great romancer of women in his life. He tried and failed repeatedly with girls of every class. The film suffers from abuse of the facts. It will also rankle any Beethoven fan to hear the redundant soundtrack. How many times must we hear Moonlight Sonata, the Pathetique, and parts of the 9th in the space of 2 hours? His most formidable music wasn't included in the film; his last string quartets, the 7th, the Hammerklavier, etc. Beethoven in this film has not been rescued from the myths that made him less than human. His mastery over music is not demonstrated. The director of the film has portrayed him in a predictable fashion giving in to the stereotypes that ultimately doom his character.
79 No French tracks
This excellent film, of great interest to students and native speakers of French, does not seem to include options for either French dialogue or French subtitles. This is an unfortunate oversight. What about Canada? Don't native speakers of English have an obligation to respect the bilingual reality of Canada? Both options should be standard under Canadian law.
80 Beautiful and Bittersweet
Once again, Gary Oldman gives a stellar performance, this time as the tortured and deaf Beethoven. His ability to transform himself physically and musically still amazes me as much as the first time I saw it. In addition to Oldman,the scenery is lush and the casting is superb. It shows just how bittersweet timing can be, and how love can carry on through the ages. See it if you haven't.
81 Great
This Movie is great! This Movie makes me Love Beethoven's Music Even more, it also makes me understand more about Beethoven's music .
82 In my top five list of all time greats!
It doesn't matter that the film isn't totally accurate (how could you expect it to be). It doesn't matter that plot revolves around a seemingly pointless search for Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved". What matters is that this film successfully gives you an insight into the tormented soul and creative genius of the maestro. If you come to it with an open mind (and an open heart) you can do no else but love it.
As for myself, I was an occasional listener of Beethoven's music before I watched this film. Now I am an avid fan. This film (and it's wonderful music) inspired me to go see all his symphonies and concertos, buy nearly all of his music, and struggle through the difficult Thayer's Life of Beethoven (both volumes!).
As for Gary Oldman - An absolutely fantastic actor, one of the best. He brings such passion to every role he plays (check out Leon (The Professional in Europe) and Bram Stoker's Dracula for other excellent performances)
83 Great subject, great music, so-so movie.
As a lover of classical music, I was interested in this movie because of it's subject matter; my favorite composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven. As a film aficionado, I was interested because Gary Oldman, one of my favorite actors, played the lead. Having never heard anything about the movie, I was willing to take the risk of buying it based on those two considerations. That said, here's my review:
I would have rated this movie as "two stars," if it weren't for the pleasing cinematography, and, of course, the music. On occasion, the laudable camerawork is marred by bad editing, and the sublime music is, in my opinion, overused; you begin to wonder if this film wasn't intended to be a Beethoven music video! Even the casting of Oldman, which was superb, and his capable portrayal -- he bore an uncanny resemblance to the young Beethoven -- wasn't enough to make this an enthusiastically recommendable movie.
The film is disjointed, making the somewhat, banal plot even more tedious. The storyline is based on a totally speculative theory of who Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved" really was -- the maestro had, in fact, addressed such a person in a letter -- and, in the process, attempts to paint a picture of the famous composer. We can never really know what Ludwig was actually like, but many of the liberties taken in portraying his life are purely fictional; I take little issue with this, considering that this is a movie, not a documentary.
Beethoven is portrayed as a surly and bitter man -- no doubt he was, from time to time -- and we are, somehow, expected to pity and like him nonetheless, due to the circumstances of the movie; that attempt falls far short of the mark, if anything, we ask ourselves why anyone in the film likes him at all! In the end, we are left with the idea that we should honor and love this person based on the power and depth of his music alone, like the characters in the movie; a ridiculous demand on our sensibilities.
The most moving segment in this film is the Ninth Symphony performance, where we are allowed to "see" into the mind of the composer; for me, it justified the purchase of the video.
Being knowledgeable about, and interested in, Beethoven, I can overlook the inadequacies of this movie, but I would not recommend it to a person with little interest in the man and his work. If you feel the way that I do about Ludwig, buy it, if not, you'll likely be disappointed.
A far better film, in this genre, in every respect except the music -- Mozart's music is equally fabulous -- is "Amadeus."
84 A Tribute For An Exceptional Spirit
A tribute to the greatest musical genious of all times. A journey through Beethoven's mind, spirit, love and music. Watch carefully the scene where he presents the Ninth Symphony for the first time, and be amazed by the conjunction of beauty emerged from a tormented childhood.
Be trapped in Beethoven's world of silence and dispare as you share emotions claiming to burst out in the form of music.
85 A movie for art lovers
Its very rare to find a movie of this calibre, todays movies are all about explosions and violence and sex, that they dont inspire an audience, or even motivate them to improve themselves. this movie is like a breath of fresh air in new-york. its drama, set, props are absolutely stunning. its script amazing, and its story line was good. in all, this movie is a milestone. Gary oldmans outstanding preformance, along with the great music of beathoven combine to make this a movie of truely epic proportions.
86 The scenery, the music, the acting, a rich experience!
The scenery in this film was some of the most beautiful, and the soundtrack was magic to the senses. Beethoven's pieces never sounded so beautiful. This movie inspired me to read about Beethoven and Gary Oldman's performance truly was magnificent. You get a sense of what it must have been like for Beethoven with his hearing impairment. You can easily feel like you're there while watching this movie and I wish I had been!
87 This movie made me cry.
I told my boyfriend after we watched it: "IT can't be this sad." It is definitely one of my favorite movies. You'll start listening to classical music with a new attitude once you see this movie.
88 Superb
This movie touched me deeply. For the first time I understood the heartbreak of a composer not being able to hear his own work. The film portrayed Beethoven's deafness beautifully, therefore giving the viewer a deep empathy with his pain, his temptestuous temper and his sometimes cruel nature. The last 30 minutes especially will surely touch your soul and make you weep for the vagary of missed opportunities and a lifetime of misunderstandings. I was not a Beethoven fan before I saw this film. Now, I cannot get enough. As for Gary Oldman - he is perfection as the tortured Ludwig.
89 A movie that weaves emotions and offers greater expression
Critque the accuracy if you need to. Speak respectfully from your point of knowledge if you must. None of that matters. What matters is that Imortal Beloved is an extrodinary movie in and of itself. For the average person, this feature offers a rich tale of a misunderstood person. That quality alone makes this a great experience. The music adds more. If you've never had an emotional experience with classical music, this movie will change that. To the untrained, unlimited ears and eyes this movie opens the doors of both Beethoven and classical music. Clasical music experts and critics will have to put up with those of us who are capable of seeing this movie for what it is, an exceptional movie experience.
90 Beethoven was a genius - PERIOD
Although the ending is mere speculation and probably not true according to historical records about who the "Immortal Beloved" actually was, it seems 'possible', nevertheless. Great capture of the torment of Beethoven. A lot of detail went into even the way he walked and his gruff attitude - yet gave the viewer reasons to understand where it came from - his deafness and other intestinal problems which got worse and worse for YEARS. The Ode to Joy was wonderful! All the music was WONDERFUL. Great costuming. Gary Oldman is quite a versitile actor. 5 stars. One of my all-time favorites for sure. Bet I've watched it no less than 10 times!
91 Gary Oldman captures the harsh reality of Beethoven's music.
Gary Oldman captures everyone's heart with his ability to portray the harsh reality of Beethoven's life and difficulties to live with his deafness...also, how he expresses his true feelings through his music. Excellent movie, best ever!
92 One of the best movies of the 90s. Gary Oldman was exceptio
A must see. I was completely uninterest in Bethtoven bofore seeing this movie. Now I can't Get enough. The weaving of music through the story gave me a new outlook on his music.
93 Entertaining
Despite the reviews of some of the "purists" which you can read below, I found the movie very entertaining and well done. There is probably as much myth as fact in the movie, but isn't that true of every genius in history? Beethoven transcends time and space and is truly an immortal figure. I found Oldman rather convincing as Beethoven, and the rest of the cast pretty good too. There are a few touching moments, a few disturbing moments, and several exultant moments. But it is the music that shines through. I prefer this movie to "Amadeus".
94 Great
It is hard to make a movie about a genius. This movie is good enough for me. Remember that we see movies for entertainment and not for a dry accurate(whose account?) documentary. Here the movie gets two thumbs up for both the story and the technical value. I have the laser disc version and the image quality and music can not be compared to a VHS version. Stay away from VHS. Someone remarked that music was not good. I believe Solti and Perahia(piano) did a wonderful jod. I can not imagine anyone better for the score. Do your self a favor and get the DVD version.
95 Beethoven deserves better
This movie is not terrible but is not a thorough examination of Beethoven. Neither is Amadeus for that matter but these composers deserve much better. Sure, I still think it's fun to watch Hollywood fool around with the story as it can finally be a titillating experience. But the scholar in me abhors such things. Three stars.
96 Gary Oldman can't carry this mediocre bio flick
Gary Oldman is a fine actor who has portrayed Lee Harvey Oswald, Sid Vicious, Joe Orton, Count Dracula, and here, he impersonates Beethoven. That's what's known as "range." But this picture demonstrates why, despite his gifts, he isn't a big star - he just doesn't have that indefinable screen presence that enables even inferior actors to carry a movie. Here he doesn't do much but scowl, rant, and behave like a "genius." It's always hard to play a great man convincingly, and it doesn't help that the real Ludwig van was a deeply unpleasant shnorrer unlikely to win the viewer's sympathy. Do yourself a favor and fast forward the video 1 hour 13 minutes to watch the great Barry Humphries as Metternich. It's the best 45 seconds of the film, and I suspect Humphries, a modern dandy, accepted the role because it gave him an excuse to wear a splendid frilly cravat.
97 Arrant Trash
Beethoven deserves better. Anybody who knows Beethoven knows that none of the women under consideration for the title were even major love interests of Beethoven in real life (with the possible exception of the Isabella Rosselini character). The true Immortal Beloved is not even mentioned in the movie. How about a serious movie about the life of Beethoven, with a score that does him justice. The music could have been done so much better. Not impressed.
98 My favorite movie!
This movie is simply one of the best ever, and it escapes my mind as to how it didn't do well at the box office, let alone not winning Best Picture! And the music! The music alone can reach to the depths of your soul.
99 AWESOME . . . Kept me on my toes to the very end!
The drama . . . the music . . . I am a fan of classical music for life
100 Absolutly splendid
heart wrenching historical drama featuring magnificnt high-fi music from the man himself... Amazon! where's the DVD... common.
