Immortal Beloved (1994)

The life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven. Besides all the work he is known for, the composer once wrote a famous love letter to a nameless beloved, and the movie tries to ... See full summary »

Director:

Bernard Rose

Writer:

Bernard Rose

Stars:

Gary Oldman, Jeroen Krabbé, Isabella Rossellini

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Oldman	...	Ludwig van Beethoven
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Anton Felix Schindler
Isabella Rossellini	...	Anna Marie Erdödy
Johanna ter Steege	...	Johanna Reiss
Marco Hofschneider	...	Karl van Beethoven
Miriam Margolyes	...	Nanette Streicherová
Barry Humphries	...	Clemens Metternich
Valeria Golino	...	Giulietta Guicciardi
Gerard Horan	...	Nikolaus Johann van Beethoven
Christopher Fulford	...	Kaspar Anton Carl van Beethoven
Alexandra Pigg	...	Therese Obermayer
Luigi Diberti	...	Franz Josef Guicciardi
Michael Culkin	...	Jakob Hotscevar
Donal Gibson	...	Karl Holz
Matthew North	...	Young Karl van Beethoven

Storyline

The life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven. Besides all the work he is known for, the composer once wrote a famous love letter to a nameless beloved, and the movie tries to find out who this beloved was--not easy, as Beethoven has had many women in his life.

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Plot Keywords:

ludwig van beethoven | death | love letter | letter | composer | 

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Taglines:

The genius behind the music. The madness behind the man. The untold love story of Ludwig von Beethoven.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for scenes of violence and sexuality

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amada inmortal

Filming Locations:

Kromeríz, Czech Republic

Box Office

Gross USA:

$9,914,409

Company Credits

Production Co:

Icon Entertainment International,Icon Productions,Majestic Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) Dolby Digital SDDS DTS Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some extras fainted in the extreme heat during the filming of the funeral scene.

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Goofs

At his first public recital, Ludwig was eight years-old (some sources report seven) and his father announced him as six, yet the movie conveys, via voiceover, that Ludwig was "12 and his father told the court he was nine".

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Quotes

Ludwig van Beethoven: A little test!

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Disclosure/Drop Zone/Nell/The Last Buffalo/Into the Deep/Immortal Beloved (1994)

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Soundtracks

Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Georg Solti (as Sir Georg Solti)

User Reviews

Immortal Beethoven

On his deathbed, Beethoven, the greatest of all composers, leaves a note to his "Immortal Beloved." Like Citizen Kane's "Rosebud," this becomes a device to see the life of Beethoven through flashbacks. This interesting mixture of fact and fiction provides a portrait of the composer's social life but sheds little light on his genius for writing music. The soundtrack is all Beethoven (except for a little Rossini), as we get to hear bits and pieces of many of his works. The "Ode to Joy" sequence is well done, juxtaposing the premier of the 9th Symphony with flashbacks to Ludwig's childhood. However, the disjointed structure makes for a somewhat unsatisfying experience. Oldman certainly looks like Beethoven and manages to convey the anguish of a man who never heard most of his greatest works due to deafness, the most cruel fate for a composer.