In Search of Beethoven (2009)

Director:

Phil Grabsky

Release Date:

10 July 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | Music

Tagline:

'The one film you need to see on Beethoven'

Plot:

The first truly comprehensive feature length cinema documentary ever made about Beethoven. With over 60 live performances.

Plot Keywords:

Beethoven | Performance | 1800s | Concert Hall | Vienna Austria

Cast

Emanuel Ax	...	Himself
Jonathan Biss	...	Himself
Alban Gerhardt	...	Himself
Roger Norrington	...	Himself
Ilona Schmiel	...	Herself
Juliet Stevenson	...	Narrator
Lars Vogt	...	Himself

Runtime:

USA:139 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Seventh Art Productions

Well structured story of Ludwig Van B, hampered by very unimaginative visuals.

A fascinating story, very well structured and put together in a narrative sense, but very lacking cinematically. I imagine it would work well as a two-parter for TV, but in the cinema, after two hours, I was longing for some relief from the (almost all) poorly composed close-ups of the (very interesting) interviewees, from the constant shots of twigs and of wintry rural miscellany, and from the unimaginative coverage of musical performances. There are far too many close-ups of instruments being played, without a wider perspective, or a contextual association.. geography. And why were almost all the talking-head shots framed to exclude people's hair, yet include much of their shirts? Was it because the director hadn't thought of subtitles and had to reconfigure the compositions in post-production? The most extreme close-up was of a man with unfortunately large ears. There are more flattering ways to photograph such people; and the audience is more likely to pay attention to what he is saying, and not stare at his ears. For Mr Grabsky's next film, may I suggest - if he can afford it - hire a full-time cameraman, someone who sees stories visually. This is a great story, but not a very good-looking one.