Immortal Beloved (1994)
Directed by Bernard Rose
A chronicle of the life of infamous classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven and his painful struggle with hearing loss. Following Beethoven's death in 1827, his assistant, Schindler, searches for an elusive woman referred to in the composer's love letters as "immortal beloved." As Schindler solves the mystery, a series of flashbacks reveal Beethoven's transformation from passionate young man to troubled musical genius.
1 connection found
View:
1 connections, in both directions
What critics compared Immortal Beloved to
It's an audacious mixture of Citizen Kane and Amadeus, with some Fantasia-like musical sequences added for good measure.
No other great artist suffers quite like this movie's Beethoven: Not loveless Toulouse-Lautrec in "Moulin Rouge," not crushed, divine Mozart in "Amadeus," not misunderstood and tortured Van Gogh in one film after another.
It's a warning that this film will seldom be staid, though it's much less shrill than "Amadeus" and much less feverishly intense than any of Ken Russell's musical biographies.
Columbia may have hoped that “Amadeus”-like lightning would strike twice for this heavy classical goulash, but domestic audiences aren’t likely to belly up in any sizable numbers.
Although lacking the dynamic conflict inherent with rival Amadeus composers Mozart and Salieri and fairly predictable in outcome, Rose's screenplay creates enough dramatic tension to carry the film.