Movie reviews continued: Immortal Beloved

It's difficult to judge a film that creates inspiring emotional impact through the vehicle of historical deceit and falsification, though it brings up two major issues: the latter may carry more importance, but the former is essentially more critical.

In Immortal Beloved, I choose the former. May historical integrity fly out the window; who cares?

In effect, the premise of Immortal Beloved is based on documental fact - the Heiligenstadt Testament as the first will, the Immortal Beloved letter as the last, the custody battle for Beethoven's nephew, the Napolean crisis surrounding the composition of the Eroica, Schindler's ridiculous quest for the sole heir, etc. The interpretation of the documents, however, are nothing short of blasphemy; it throws in the face all the common sensical extrapolations regarding the Immortal Beloved, and barely addresses Antonia Brentano, who has come to be regarded (after Solomon's exhaustive research) as the rightful dedicatee. Everybody knows that Johanna von Beethoven and Beethoven were long-standing enemies, proven blatantly by the custody battles for her son, and though Schindler proposed (ridiculously) that Giulietta Gucciardi probably stood the best chance, she married even before the Heiligenstadt Testament was written, and what's more, the film inaccurately claims that Schindler disregarded her completely.

But then again, who cares?

The film is well done; emotionally powerful, musically brilliant, incredibly acted (did anybody notice that the guy who plays Schindler is the same guy that plays the bad-guy Doctor in The Fugitive?), and definitely serves as the paradigmatic example for a movie set to music. All the most brilliant works are included, and in the most appropriate setting: the slow movement of Beethoven's 7th Symphony, Fur Elise, the Moonlight Sonata (as the cause of his breakup with Giuletta Gucciardi), the 9th Symphony (obviously the climax of the film), the Kreutzer Sonata, the Pathetique, the Eroica, and of course (on his deathbed no less) the Cavatina from his Op. 130 String Quartet.

If anything, the film showed the most important aspect about Beethoven: the ethos, blinded to the public by his temperament. Here we see Beethoven (Gary Oldman), hated by all his loved ones, living in a world of complete silence, alienated from public consumption, plauged by memories, solitarily writing for the greatness of humanity. We see that beyond his temperament and his collosal ego, Beethoven genuinely selflessly strove for humanitarian redemption. And the music they chose shows it.

Contrary to popular opinion, this is not a bad movie. It may be grossly incorrect, but it's not a bad movie.

The following is an excerpt of the Solomon translation of the third Immortal Beloved letter. It is the heart of the Romantic era - a look into the creation of pathos, single-handedly developed by the most influential composer in music history.

"Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us - I can live only wholly with you or not at all - Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul enwrapped in you into the land of spirits. Be calm, only by a clam consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together - Be calm - love me - today - yesterday - what tearful longings for you - you - you - my life - my all - farewell.

Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.

Ever mine.
Ever thine.
Ever ours."