Review of Immortal Beloved (1994) by Scott C — 28 Aug 2008

While the cinematography and story aren't exactly on a par with Beethoven's music or Gary Oldman's incredible performance, this film is well-made. I'm not a big fan of its overdone lighting, its typical-period-piece feel, or the stale way in which it is shot, but for the most part it succeeds in telling its story.

Also, I find the main motivation of the narrator a bit less interesting than Beethoven himself. With all that said, i'd have to say that a sequence towards the end of the film featuring a young Beethoven, stars, and his ninth symphony is one of the most powerful scenes I've ever seen in a film.

For me, without using one word, it sums up Beethoven's struggle on Earth, his music which is eternal, the absolutely endless universe, and why humans are here in the first place. For that scene alone, I'd give this movie four stars.