Immortal Beloved [Blu-ray] Review
*SPOILER (Jump to the numbers at the bottom of this review if you don't want to know who is Beethoven's Immortal Beloved) A wonderful movie that uses music as much as acting to portrait Beethoven. Director and writer Bernard Rose did a tremendous job using music as a co-star for this wonderful movie. While it is true, there were letters found made out to "Immortal Beloved" written by Beethoven, many scholars believe the woman Beethoven refers to is not even in this movie, but is another married woman named Antonie von Birkenstock Brentano. She was married very young to an older man in an arranged marriage. None the less, this is an enthralling movie that goes into many details of Beethoven's adult life until his death. Oldman is excellent in his role, and does a wonderful job portraying a deaf man holding a secret love for his younger brother's wife. While the identity of Beethoven's Immortal Beloved may incorrect in the movie, other aspects of his life are accurately presented by writer/director Rose who thoroughly researched the film's subject prior to writing the screenplay. Among the themes covered is Beethoven's apparent rudeness, explained here as being due to his deafness, his disdain for both his contemporary musicians and aristocracy as well as his initial like of Napolean(until he declared himself Emperor). His struggle to obtain custody of his nephew Karl as well as his trying to get Karl to follow in his footsteps while Karl only wants to be a soldier is a main theme. All of the music in the film, is very aptly matched to each scene. This is noted by several of the actors on the included featurette. The visuals, locations and costumes are beautiful and span the time of Beethoven being a young man until the time of his death. The film is shot mostly in Prague, a city that pretty much looks like it did 300 years ago. The films is also bright and well lit, so these wonderful scenes can be enjoyed in all their Blu-Ray high definition glory. A wonderful movie for those that enjoy history and music. Note there is some language and nudity.
Movie 4.55/5
Visual Quality 5/5
Audio Quality 5/5
Suppliments 4/5
Immortal Beloved [Blu-ray] Overview
COLLEGE PROFESSOR BEGINS TO SUSPECT THAT HIS NEIGHBOUR IS ATERRORIST.
Immortal Beloved [Blu-ray] Specifications
This thrilling, speculative story about the mystery woman whom Ludwig van Beethoven once identified in a letter as his "immortal beloved" is directed by Bernard Rose (Paperhouse). Gary Oldman plays the deaf genius with tragic brutality in a series of flashbacks that arise during a connect-the-dots investigation by Beethoven's secretary (Jeroen Krabbé), who is looking into the composer's love affairs to ascertain who held the key to his heart. Rose arrives at a moving if imperfect portrait of a complicated artist, and he pays gorgeous tribute to Beethoven's stolen innocence in childhood. (You may never hear the Ninth Symphony again without thinking of Rose's beautiful image of young Ludwig immersed in cosmic rapture.) Produced by Mel Gibson's company, Icon. --Tom Keogh
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