“Copying Beethoven” – This looks like it’s going to suck
August 1st, 2007 Posted in beethoven, classical music
Copying Beethoven (official site) is the name of a movie supposedly portraying the last few years of his life. Well that sounds promising – except that it’s been “jazzed up” by completely fabricating a “heartwarming” story involving Beethoven slowly gaining trust in an inspirational female copyist. Doesn’t that make you feel nauseated already?
It’s received some glowing reviews, e.g.
“If you love the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, avoid this film” – Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
And:
“Copying Beethoven aspires to the sublime, but it stalls at the merely ridiculous” – Nathan Rabin, Onion A.V. Club
Or even better:
“Watching Ed Harris clomp around in “Copying Beethoven” is like lighting a roman candle and swallowing the discharge.” – Brian Orndorf, FilmJerk.com
There’s a tonne more over at Rotten Tomatoes.
August 1st, 2007 at 8:01 pm
This movie has been out for a while. I’ve had it on my Netflix list but have been afraid to actually rent it. It may be worthwhile to see Diane Kruger, though.
August 1st, 2007 at 8:09 pm
It really is awful–so bad that it’s probably worth seeing as an example of the wrong way to make a film. Harris is entirely unconvincing as Beethoven (except in his first entrance, where he nails the character–totally unlike the rest of the film). The script is awkward and unimaginative; it is as if the writer(s) made only a superficial study of the composer’s personality, biography, and work. If they had only done their homework, they could have made even this implausible and silly-sounding plot work brilliantly (provided they had some help from the actors).
Perhaps the most offensive part (among many) is a tasteless and anachronistic scene where “Beethoven” exposes his rear end while referring to a certain sonata — one that didn’t get its famous nickname until well after the composer’s death.
Beethoven Lives Upstairs is much more authentic, and a much better film. I’m dead serious.