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Conference bookie::movies

Title:Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes
Created:Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1249
Total number of notes:16012

742.0. "Immortal Beloved" by SUFRNG::WSA038::SATTERFIELD (Close enough for jazz.) Wed Jan 11 1995 20:27


This is a biopic of Ludwig Van Beethoven with a twist. The premise is that
on his death he left his estate to "Immortal Beloved". The film is based 
around the search for this unnamed person. As usual in a biopic it's a
blend of fact and fiction. It's entertaining, beautifully filmed, full of
Beethoven's incredible music. The editing could be a little tighter but
I was never bored. Gary Oldman did his usual competent job as Ludwig. I
enjoyed the film much more than I did _Amadeus_, probably becaused I like
Beethoven's music much more than Mozart's.



Randy
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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742.1A spoiled opportunityUSDEV::HERRINGMon Jan 16 1995 16:1211
    This movie is indeed beautiful to look at and beautiful to listen to,
    but as a story it is very frustrating for anyone wanting to understand
    the life of the famous composer. The gimmick of the search for the
    mysterious lady, very similar to Citizen Kane's Rosebud, structured
    the plot around Beethoven's paramours rather than around his music,
    and kept the entire film on the level of a soap opera. I also found it
    sad that unnecessary nudity and sexual violence pushed the film into
    the R category, keeping it from younger audiences who are interested in
    classical music and its origins.
    
    Steve H.
742.2HUMOR::EPPESI'm not making this up, you knowWed Jan 18 1995 16:184
There is also some discussion of this movie in the SMURF::CLASSICAL_MUSIC
notes file.  Just fyi.

-- Nina
742.4Good music, poor plot.HANNAH::MILANESEMon Jan 22 1996 15:3538
    
    Answer as I understood it,
    anyway.. after spoiler alert
    
    <spoiler alert>
    
    
    
    
    
    
    She didn't read the note.
    
    The proprietor of the hotel
    opened the note, read it,
    and placed it under the linen
    on the tray of the food she
    was bringing to the "beloved".
    
    The woman, who was pregnant, got
    sick when she looked at the
    food on the tray and went to
    the other side of the room
    to vomit into the chamber pot.
    
    So, she missed the note entirely.
    Because she left right after that
    running down the stairs.  I don't
    think she intentionally avoided him,
    but rather sneaked away since she
    was there illicitly (given the time
    era.)
    
    At the end, when Schindler asks
    her why she didn't stay after 
    reading the note she says, "What note?"
    
    Does that make sense?
742.6HANNAH::MILANESEWed Jan 24 1996 17:3621
    You're welcome...but I seemed
    to have messed up the spoiler alert.
    
    Hmmmm
    
    I agree, very good music, mediocore
    plot.  Wasn't he portrayed as quite
    unlikable?
    
    Schindler said more than once, "He gave
    us so much, that I just want to do this
    for him." or words to that effect.
    
    I kept wondering if I was watching a movie 
    about the person he was talking about.
    
    I 'spose he was referring to his music; 
    don't know if that made up for his 
    boorish behavior, though.
    
    
742.7See it for the music!HOTLNE::SHIELDSSat Jan 11 1997 03:5511