Immortal Beloved (film)

Infobox Film
name = Immortal Beloved


caption = "Immortal Beloved" theatrical poster
director = Bernard Rose
producer = Bruce Davey
writer = Bernard Rose
starring = Gary Oldman
Jeroen Krabbé
music = George Fenton
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gioacchino Rossini
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
released = 1994
runtime = 121 min.
rating = R (US) / 15 (UK)
country = UK/USA
awards =
language = English
budget =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0110116

"Immortal Beloved" is a 1994 film about the life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven.

Historical Background and Content

The film — a biopic — treats the identity of the "Immortal Beloved" (Unsterbliche Geliebte) of composer Ludwig Van Beethoven as a mystery to be solved by his secretary and first biographer, Anton Schindler, a journey of discovery which takes Schindler to all corners of the Austrian Empire to interview the women who have a claim to candidacy.

The core of fact upon which the film's speculations are built is as follows:

After Beethoven's death in 1827, three short letters were found among his private papers addressed to a woman whom he calls "immortal beloved". The letters still exist, but there is no consensus among Beethoven scholars as to the identity of the intended recipient. The letters— probably written in the summer of 1812 from the spa town of Teplice — are certainly in Beethoven's handwriting.

Among the most plausible candidates put forward to date are Giulietta Guicciardi, Thérèse von Brunswick, Antonie Brentano, Johanna van Beethoven, Countess Anna-Marie Erdödy, all but one of whom feature in the film.

The film's writer and director, Bernard Rose, has controversially claimed that he himself has successfully identified the woman whom Beethoven loved, a task that has eluded researchers for nearly two hundred years. No scholar or writer on Beethoven has so far endorsed Rose's claim. One, Gail S. Altman, has vociferously disputed it in a book [Altman, Gail S. "Beethoven: A Man of His Word - Undisclosed Evidence for his Immortal Beloved", Anubian Press 1996; ISBN 1-888071-01-X] devoted specifically to the question of the woman's identity and Beethoven's relationships in general.

Reception

Critical reaction for the film was mixed, but tended towards the positive. [ [http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/immortal_beloved/ Immortal Beloved Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes ] ] Roger Ebert gave the film 3-and-a-half stars out of four, stating in his review "Immortal Beloved" has clearly been made by people who feel Beethoven directly in their hearts," and he was among the many to praise Oldman's performance. [ [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19950106/REVIEWS/501060302/1023 Immortal Beloved :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews ] ]

Cast

*Gary Oldman as Ludwig van Beethoven
*Jeroen Krabbé as Anton Felix Schindler
*Isabella Rossellini as Anna Marie Erdödy
*Johanna ter Steege as Johanna Reiss
*Christopher Fulford as Casper van Beethoven
*Marco Hofschneider as Karl van Beethoven
*Miriam Margolyes as Nanette Streicher
*Barry Humphries as Clemens Metternich
*Valeria Golino as Giulietta Guicciardi

Crew

*Directed and Written by Bernard Rose
*Produced by Bruce Davey
*Executive Producer Stephen McEveety
*Director of Photography Peter Suschitzky
*Music Direction by Georg Solti conducting the London Symphony Orchestra
*Solo Pianist Murray Perahia
*Music by
Ludwig van Beethoven
Gioacchino Rossini ("Overture" from "La Gazza ladrà")

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0110116|title=Immortal Beloved