Review of Mahler (1974) by Private U — 26 Jun 2008
Ken Russell rides again, this time he's in familiar territory with another film about one the great classical composers. This one is about Gustav Mahler (Robert Powell), the Austrian composer who, now an old man on a train journey with his wife Alma (Georgina Hale), looks back upon his life, and all the struggles he faced in it, whether it be his conversion from Judaism to Catholicism, because of anti-semitism, his troubled childhood and his brother killing himself.
As expected from Ken Russell, it has his usual touches of madness, (the religion conversion is Nazi themed), but for a film made on a shoestring budget, it is beautifully shot and Ken gets the best out of his locations, (Cumbria's Lake District doubles for Bavaria), which would be used again for Russell's next film, Tommy (1975), which Powell also appeared in.
Oh, and Oliver Reed makes an uncredited cameo as a station conductor, it also brings out the best in Mahler's music...
This review of Mahler (1974) was written by Private U on 26 Jun 2008.
Mahler has generally received positive reviews.
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