Once again, a film of such glory fell on deaf ears - no pun intended - in this country. I have spent hours reading reviews on this film, stating how awful it was, because it was not true to the real Beethoven's life.... Well, I believe that early on in my life, I learned about some- thing called "Poetic License"....and, in fact, this film IS, basically, a poem. The movie is BASED on a letter that Beethoven actually DID write, to his mystery lover. No one knows, for sure, who the woman really was. And, this is simply a beautiful interpretation of someone's dream of who she COULD'VE been.
This was regarded as an AWFUL thing to do, by many Beethoven authorities - and by people who simply DOUBTED.
Yet, what went overlooked because of these critics' lack of open-mindedness - was an exquisite blend of glorious music, and SUPREME acting.
Once again, Mr. Oldman gave a performance like no other actor in the world can quite match. His style, sensitivity, and
genius as the Tragic Beethoven, was magnificent.
Jeroen Krabbe's portrayal of Anton Schindler, Beethoven's friend and champion - was marvelous.
Johanna ter Steege - who portrayed Johanna, Beethoven's sister- in-law - was exquisite. Why did they ignore HER? It would've been nice to have her stay here, rather than return to her Dutch homeland - to become a major motion picture star, as well. She had one special attribute - she could ACT.
The sets, costuming, sound, and editing were all BEAUTIFUL. But the film was ignored.
Above all, however, Gary Oldman's performance ranked among the best in the world - but it, too, was ignored.
Give the film another chance. It deserves FAR more than it GOT. It was, simply, beautiful...
