Immortal Beloved
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DVD details
Actor: Christopher Fulford, Gary Oldman, Hannes Flaschberger, Michael Culkin, Rory EdwardsBrand: Sony
DVD: 2 Layers, Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-10-05
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures
DVD Reviews of Immortal Beloved
DVD Review: Worthy of upgrade to blu-ray
Summary: 4 Stars
Immortal Beloved itself is a wonderful film. It is unfortunate that it gets less acclaim than 'Amadeus.' Gary Oldman is fantastic in most films he acts, and this film is no different.
Other reviewers have focused quite well on the film itself, so for the purposes of this review, I'd like to focus a more on the blu-ray video/audio quality for this film.
VIDEO:
The tranfer is very. very good. The blacks are deep and rich. The contrast is spectacular. The only issue for me, it a good portion of this film quite dark, and if your television is one of older HD technology, you may see some blotting. It's not a big deal, as the viewer on these televisions would be used to it anyway. In any case, the detail is great. You can tell the transfer team at Sony paid attention to the detail when transferring the video for this film to the higher definition format. NOTE: The viewer will see some grain throughout this film, but that was the intent of the director. For those of you who use subtitles, you have the ability to have the text display on the film, or in the black bars (if viewing in Original Aspect Ratio).
AUDIO:
This is tricky. This is not an action/sci-fi film, so there are no explosions or gunfire (one scene of cannon fire, though). However, given the focus of this film is the life of a romantic-era composer, Beethoven's music is the true centerpiece. In this regard, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 brings the music to life. It's crisp, and crystal clear. The same can be said for the dialog.
EXTRAS:
I'm not a real fan of extras anyway, so I didn't review these for this review.
If you want a good fictional biopic on blu-ray, 'Immortal Beloved' is a fantastic choice.
DVD Review: Not the best
Summary: 2 Stars
Could have been done so much better, the story line was there coupled with Beethoven's music. Unfortunately the director's and the screen writers' poor interpretation failed to convey this remarkable life. It started with an attemp to extreme high level of emotion but it was too soon, one could't feel it. The bad selection of music that accompanied it was very dissapointing. The pace was erratic and didn't take the viewer with it. Characters were not developed well, the scenes were choppy. The actors didn't understand and feel who they were portraying. The approach left one baffled. Hardly watchable. Nothing at the level of Amadeus.DVD Review: Much underrated; Must see if you love Beethoven
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie was an unfortunate commercial flop (made only $9.8m), but it ranks with Amadeus as one of the greatest classical music related movies of all time.
Certainly, I have yet to see any movie as good related to Beethoven.
It is very obvious the creators lovingly devoted much of their effort and time in crafting a highly coherent and interwoven biography of one of music's greats. Such devotion, I believe, was motived by the creators' love of Beethoven and his music. Indeed, it is hard not to love Beethoven's music.
I have read many books about Beethoven. But movies can do what books cannot. Movies can fill the imagination with visualization and delight the ear with music to feel the soul of the character. The "Immortal Beloved" allowed me to understand Beethoven as no other medium could.
The only negative aspect of this movie is its rather speculative conclusion on whom the "immortal beloved" was. I won't give it away, but the movie's conclusion differs from the conclusion of most experts on Beethoven. The movie's emphasis on the Beethoven's "immortal beloved" detracted the movie from the truly immortal Beethoven.
DVD Review: Fiery Passion and Genius
Summary: 5 Stars
Though this is a work of fiction, it does in fact reveal the genius of Beethoven, through passions and rages of scorching intensity. Director Bernard Rose in the commentary compares the film's construction to that of "Citizen Kane," in that it begins with a mystery that begs to be solved if the man is to be understood. In this case, it's a final will bequeathing everything to his "Immortal Beloved," along with an undelivered billet-doux to the unknown woman. In the course of trying to fulfill the maestro's last wishes, the executor of Beethoven's estate explores the composer's past. Through flashbacks, Beethoven's dizzying genius and private pain are revealed. It's true, that there is some license here, but it's respectful of the facts, and tries to stay within the lines while exploring the possibilities. First, there really was such a final will discovered among his papers. Also, the custody battle over his nephew is well documented, and transcripts were consulted for some word-for-word re-creation, as Rose discloses in his commentary. The film takes license in that Rose purports to have solved the mystery, and he makes such a strong case, I'm partially convinced he has.
But all of that is merely a means of exploring Beethoven. A thorough knowledge of his music, which I do not possess, would probably heighten the appreciation of some references to it. For instance, even in my limited familiarity, I know that the 5th Symphony is about fate knocking at one's door. The very first scene of the film is of Beethoven's weary, hoary head on a white pillow, surrounded by night. Lightning strobes in sync with the sudden obtrusion of the 5th. He succumbs. It was an artful touch, and there might be others similar to it that I can't catch, lacking as I do the prerequisite knowledge. The primary point here is that the opening allusion adverted to me from the outset that this would be a meticulously crafted film. But a previous knowledge of the context of his music is not essential toward appreciating this intelligent film in its own right. When the credits rolled after I showed it to my companion, who had never given the man any thought whatsoever, she said in the warm afterglow of awe, "I'll never look at that music the same way."
For the performances by the actors, I'm not sure I'm being hyperbolic in saying that Gary Oldman is as stellar an actor as Beethoven was a composer. He was downright explosive at times, disdainful others, but somehow always sympathetic. His performance was nothing short of magnificent. In one of the documentaries on the disc, Oldman admits that he turned the role down a couple of times, until his agent convinced him it would be the right thing. Thank heaven! He was a fierce presence every time he was on the screen, as you'd imagine Beethoven himself must have been when he walked into a room.
If you already own the SD DVD, as I did, and you still love this film, I suggest you go ahead and upgrade to the Blu-ray. There is so much filigree in the location shots and the costumes, it definitely benefited throughout from the hi-def transfer, and made seeing it even more pleasurable. The artistry of the film is given a more rightful emphasis.
As for the special features, there's the aforementioned commentary track; a 30-minute documentary "Beloved Beethoven" in which the director and other principals of the film reveal some interesting aspects of Beethoven himself; and the original behind-the-scenes featurette (about seven minutes). So there was nothing new added for the Blu-ray edition, but in this case, the beauty of the film alone makes it worth the upgrade.
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DVD Review: Immortal Beloved, on Blu-ray is pure perfection!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a magnificent film of great performances and inspired storytelling. I'm sure it plays fast and loose with historical fact, but anyone who can appreciate Beethoven's genius can surely find a fondness for this story. Gary Oldman portrays Beethoven with an aloof complexity; he leaves the viewer spellbound with a hunger for more about Beethoven's life. The supporting cast is equally impressive, with outstanding performances from Valeria Golino, Isabella Rossellini and Jeoren Krabbe. I can find no fault with Immortal Beloved as it tells an engrossing story through masterful performances and an amazing attention to period detail. Of course, the music of Beethoven is also profoundly moving, especially within the context of the film. This is a beautifully shot film with loads of natural grain and a fine attention to the most minute of period details.And speaking of detail, closely watch the many delicate fabrics that are used in the film's costuming. Beethoven's funeral is a notable scene where all of the women in attendance are wearing veils. The amount of detail in these veils is among the most startling fine film detail I've yet seen conveyed in a home video presentation. Immortal Beloved, on Blu-ray is pure perfection! TrueHD soundtrack is outstanding and succeeds in every aspect. Sure, there is one scene where cannon-fire is nicely directional, but the remainder of the film is more ambient with a focus on performed music taking up the appropriate space in your home theater. Most of this music relies on the front speakers, but rear fill adds a nice acoustic touch in reproducing the atmosphere from whatever room in which we are watching the music performed.
I've been a huge fan of the film for years and am thrilled to be able to experience it in my home in such outstanding quality.It would be a crime if I didn't give this film my highest recommendation.
Description of Immortal Beloved
Gary oldman is beethoven in this untold story of a man of genius a woman of passion and the mystery of a lifetime. Special features: dual-layer widescreen version subtitles: english spanish director bernard roses commentary original featurette talent files and theatrical trailer. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 03/06/2007 Starring: Gary Oldman Run time: 120 minutes Rating: RThis sumptuous and moving 1994 film written and directed by Bernard Rose (Candyman) investigates the artistic and romantic passions of one of the greatest composers of all time. Featuring a superb performance by Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy) as Ludwig van Beethoven, Immortal Beloved is full of uncommonly vivid, rich imagery as it charts the tumultuous life of the deaf child prodigy and his rise to the height of musical achievement. Along the way, he attempts to play mentor to his nephew, attend to his many passionate romances--the most stable one was with a countess (Isabella Rossellini)--and fight bouts of depression and madness that ruled his life and his art. The film is framed around a "Rosebud"-type letter found after the composer's death that makes up the crux of the story. Jeroen Krabb? (The Fugitive), playing Beethoven's lifelong friend, attempts to discover who Beethoven's muse really was, becoming as driven as his friend in discovering the unlikely identity of the composer's "immortal beloved." Through this we gain an insight into the nature of obsession, romance, and the heights and sacrifices of artistic achievement. The film exhibits some extraordinary sound design, and the finale features a magical encapsulation of Beethoven's life and loves set to his "Ode to Joy." As an exciting and passionate journey, Immortal Beloved is its own masterpiece. --Robert Lane
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