Bride of the Wind (2001)

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writer:

Marilyn Levy (writer)

Release Date:

4 January 2002 (South Africa)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Plot:

This movie is a biopic of Alma Mahler, the wife of composer Gustav Mahler (as well as Walter Gropius and Franz Werfel), and the mistress of Oskar Kokoschka.

Plot Keywords:

Composer | 1800s | Art | Artist | Independent Film

Cast

Sarah Wynter	...	Alma Mahler
Jonathan Pryce	...	Gustav Mahler
Vincent Perez	...	Oskar Kokoschka
Simon Verhoeven	...	Walter Gropius
Gregor Seberg	...	Franz Werfel
Dagmar Schwarz	...	Anna Moll
Wolfgang Hübsch	...	Karl Moll
August Schmölzer	...	Gustav Klimt
Marion Rottenhofer	...	Bertha Zuckerland
Sophie Schweighofer	...	Anna Mahler (Age 6)
Johannes Silberschneider	...	Alexander Zemlinsky
Daniela Dadieu	...	Justine Mahler
Brigitte Antonius	...	Frau Kokoschka
Johanna Mertinz	...	Frau Gropius
Erwin Ebenbauer	...	Dr. Alfred Loos

Also Known As:

Die Windsbraut (Austria)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and nudity.

Runtime:

USA:99 min

Country:

UK | Germany | Austria

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Vienna, Austria

Company:

Alma UK Limited

Soundtrack:

Rückert-Lieder: No. 5, Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen

It could have been great!

I watched this bit of eye candy in the hope that the story of Alma Schindler Mahler Gropius Werfel would unfold and the world could see a portrait of a daring, talented woman who was indeed liberated in nearly every sense of the word. Mahler is one of one of my favorite composers and I became fascinated with Alma Schindler, believe it or not, from a parody sung by Tom Lehrer. However, since that time, many, many years ago, I've managed to read several excellent biographies of Mahler as well as Alma Schindler's autobiography, which leads me to comment on this film.

Sadly, this film disappoints. It is a beautiful piece of work, with darkness wrought from bright colors, ala Bergman's Cries and Whispers, and with wonderful costumes. But, as the other reviews herein note, the script is weak and Sarah Wynter's performance is spotty. Indeed, the two male stars, Jonathon Pryce as Mahler and Vincent Perez as the artist, Oskar Kokoschka outshine Wynter's tentative characterization of Alma. Perez is especially bright, exuding passion and artistic madness, as biographer's have depicted the painter, a pioneer in early 20th Century expressionism. Peter Verhoeven as Gropius and Gregor Seberg as Werfel seem to get ground up and we're left wondering why they were written into the script...in spite of the fact, each played a significant role in the life of Alma Schindler Mahler Gropius Werfel. Too bad, they are underutilized. And, to continue slamming the script, they are badly depicted. Gropius, the great architectural innovator of the Bauhaus was hardly the foppish Mama's boy shown in the film. And, the passionate, multi-talented Franz Werfel, author of Song of Berndadette and Forty Days at Musa Dagh, was hardly the clowning caricature presented in the film. Even the solid performance of Welsh veteran Jonathon Pryce is led astray. The driven, passionate and often neurotic Mahler, compulsively washing his hands 12 times a day was not the staid, stoic older man shown in this film. So, alas, the great subject matter has been neglected. What results is not-a-bad movie about a fascinating woman that with a bit more research, better script, and a different leading lady could have been excellent, really excellent film.