Review of The Legend of 1900 (1998) by Ken — 20 Mar 2007

The Good: amazing piano scenes; subtle, ironic humor; Roth is genuine. The Bad: too long, too boring, strangely-paced. This movie has some scenes that are dazzlingly creative, well-written, or beautiful.

There are fantastic piano sequences (one of which involves a grand piano being played as it is flying across the floor of a storm-tossed ship), and the quirky, low-key humor will be enjoyed by those patient enough to look for it.

As a piano-playing movie, it is fantastic. As a gripping character study, it falls flat. Indeed, "gripping" is a large problem with this movie, for that it was it lacks. One may lament, as I did, how sad it is that there are so many great scenes and moments tied together by long stretches of boredom.