Paganini (1989)

Klaus Kinski believed that he lived through the same experiences as the legendary "devil violinist" Niccolo Paganini, who set all of nineteenth-century Europe into a frenzy and through ... See full summary »

Director:

Klaus Kinski

Writer:

Klaus Kinski

Stars:

Klaus Kinski, Debora Caprioglio, Nikolai Kinski

Cast

Credited cast:
Klaus Kinski	...	Nicolo Paganini
Debora Caprioglio	...	Antonia Bianchi (as Debora Kinski)
Nikolai Kinski	...	Achille Paganini
Dalila Di Lazzaro	...	Helene von Feuerbach
Tosca D'Aquino	...	Angiolina Cavanna
Eva Grimaldi	...	Marie Anna Elise Bonaparte
Beba Balteano	...	Carol Watson
Fabio Carfora	...	Mr. Watson
Donatella Rettore	...	Miss Wells
Bernard Blier	...	Pater Caffarelli
André Thorent	...	Galvano
Marcel Marceau	...	Pantomime
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Feodor Chaliapin Jr.
Vittorio Ciorcalo
Niels Gullov

Storyline

Klaus Kinski believed that he lived through the same experiences as the legendary "devil violinist" Niccolo Paganini, who set all of nineteenth-century Europe into a frenzy and through whose personality Kinski offers an incredibly profound and honest insight into his own life; a life of extremities.

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Plot Keywords:

violinist | paganini | classical music | egomaniac | female nudity | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [de]

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

25 May 1990 (Italy)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Président Films, Reteitalia, Scena Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min 95 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Klaus Kinski's last film.

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Connections

Referenced in Synergia (2011)

User Reviews

unspeakably, desperately bad

I wanted to like this film, but it depressed the hell out of me. I notice that several reviews follow the pattern "a fascinating insight into Kinski's mind", but it seems to me (having read his autobiography) that his mind wasn't very interesting. His egomania wasn't matched by competence as a filmmaker, and by the time of this film his acting was reduced to going through the motions - and the motions are often extremely hysterical, but in irritating slow motion! His insistence on using natural lighting doesn't make him a Kubrick - just inept. As a musician, I see no trace of any insight into Paganini here, and the latter was indeed a fascinating human being. I suspect that part of the problem is that Kinski was surrounded by hangers-on, worshippers, arse-lickers (probably literally, in slow motion), sycophants, who either didn't notice that he was producing tripe or were afraid to tell him. The sad, sad thing is that he wasted so much of his life trying to put this farrago together, and that the frustrations of it may have hastened his death. Kinski will be remembered for Woyzeck, for Aguirre, for Fitzcarraldo. His stage performances were extraordinary - the very last one was filmed, and I saw it recently - just an unadorned recitation of the Sermon on the Mount. However, here too his egomania and lack of self-criticism distorted the whole thing: accused of hypocrisy by an audience member, all he can do is throw the microphone stand (not the microphone!) into the audience and storm off. Nearly 30 years later, Paganini has replaced Jesus, but the delusions of grandeur are the same.