Amazon.com video review:
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
Amazon.com video review:
This 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 Krabbé (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
