Eroica (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Simon Cellan Jones

Writer:

Nick Dear (writer)

Release Date:

4 October 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Cast

Ian Hart	...	Ludwig van Beethoven
Jack Davenport	...	Prince Lobkowitz
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Count Dietrichstein
Anton Lesser	...	Sukowaty
Frank Finlay	...	Josef Haydn
Claire Skinner	...	Josephine Deym nee Brunsvik
Lucy Akhurst	...	Therese Brunsvik
Fenella Woolgar	...	Princess Lobkowitz
Leo Bill	...	Reis
Trevor Cooper	...	Otto Fisher
Victoria Shalet	...	Kirsten
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jonathan Aris	...	Paul Dorfmueller
Robert Glenister	...	Gerhardt
Joseph Morgan	...	Matthias

Runtime:

UK:129 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Filming Locations:

Chiswick House, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Goofs:

Factual errors: Beethoven's assistant was Ferdinand Ries, pronounced "Reese." They name was pronounced correctly in the film but incorrectly spelled "Reis" in the film credits. It was Ries himself who told the story of his incorrectly thinking the horn player came in early.

Eroica! Brilliant!

First I must clear up one thing. I have been a fanatic of Beethoven's music, life and words for nearly 40 years. I remember receiving a flimsy plastic 45 rpm-shaped record, which was timed at 33-1/3, in the mail advertising his music and the music of others. What I will not forget is hearing those first few bars. I will never ever forget that moment. Two crashing chords and straight into the first melody. It made a profound influence on the course for the rest of my life. I've since become a dilettante composer and enthusiastic champion of the music of this greatest of masters.

With that being said...I was brought into such a state of newfound discovery when I heard the Eroica again on this DVD. The Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique somehow has made an old friend sound brand new again. With the size of the noticeable orchestra being smaller than we are normally accustomed, and with the pronounced accentuation of the individual instruments, the sounds and the development of the themes were fresh.

I enjoyed almost every performance in this film. It doesn't matter whose I didn't like. It really makes no difference. The presence of Ian Hart, Tim Pigott-Smith, Fenella Woolgar, Frank Finlay, Leo Bill, Trevor Cooper, the beautiful Claire Skinner, and mysterious Lucy Akhurst and gosh, even Victoria Shalet and Joseph Morgan made the whole affair quite an enjoyable experience and transformed this into a true ensemble of players.

The effect of the cameras moving about was a stroke of genius. The camera swirled as the thoughts of the people present and listening swirled around the room.

Enough cannot be said about IAN HART who really brought this together. Those of who the character of Beethoven so well should be pleased with his take. Here we have none of the scowling Beethoven smirks which plagued his later years. Here we still have a youthful, but adamant figure struggling to make his way into the world of Viennese society. Hart has cast a Beethoven in his prime though quite immediately after his "Heilegenstadt Testament" period of great sadness. He is young and he still bounce back and get back to the music. One instance of this bouncing back was quite remarkably placed near the end of the movie.

To lovers of Beethoven, lovers of the Eroica, lovers of great music, lovers of historical dramas and fine period pieces, I recommend this film without reservation.