Copying Beethoven (2006)
A fictionalised exploration of Beethoven's life in his final days working on his Ninth Symphony. It is 1824. Beethoven is racing to finish his new symphony. However, it has been years since his last success and he is plagued by deafness, loneliness and personal trauma. A copyist is urgently needed to help the composer. A fictional character is introduced in the form of a young conservatory student and aspiring composer named Anna Holtz. The mercurial Beethoven is skeptical that a woman might become involved in his masterpiece but slowly comes to trust in Anna's assistance and in the end becomes quite fond of her. By the time the piece is performed, her presence in his life is an absolute necessity. Her deep understanding of his work is such that she even corrects mistakes he has made, while her passionate personality opens a door into his private world.
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People are voting emotionally.
i must have seen a different film!!
How sad is this?
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Very nice movie with most interest focused on the film's music track, Ed Harris is perfect, mainly due to similarity he did the best he could and of course attributed the "quality" of Beethoven's character, Of course it could not and never managed to "identified" perfectly with the myth that incarnated. ( I don't know if anyone else could do better, maybe only Ian Hart which was the best "Beethoven" ever in my opinion).Diane Krueger as Cholts, is right, with internal dynamics that took no outward, deliberately, a modest quiet strength in front of the "God of music"! Remarkable how there isn't a love scene, something I respect a lot!
This is a masterpiece -- the opening horse carriage sequence with the Grosse Fugue is riveting -- the Ninth Symphony premiere is splendid and brings tears to my eyes. Ed Harris and Diane Kruger deserve praise for their performances! Yes, the film is a fantasy, only very loosely connected with historical fact. And yes, feminism did not exist in 1824. The idea of Anna "leading" Ludwig in conducting a concert (although cinematically dramatic) is preposterous. But suspend your disbelief for awhile and let the power of music take over. This is a brave film, dwelling on Beethoven's late work, and deserves a re-examination by all critics.
I was going to praise the other reviewers even as I disagreed with them and then I read a few more and a few more and I started stewing. I am not a professional writer. I neither write movie reviews or movies themselves. However I do understand the idea of "willing suspension of disbelief". No one ever said this was a totally factual account of the life of Beethoven. First of all, we will never see one. No one knows all the facts of his life. It was too long ago. So let us enjoy the movie which does a beautiful job of trying to explain what Beethoven's life might have meant, seen through the eyes of a young woman. Women perceive people differently. They listen differently and pick up on other's inner monologue more easily. I think telling that particular story in any other way would have been a big mistake. I most strongly disagree with the statement that Beethoven tries to speak for God. No, Beethoven tries to explain that God speaks to him and it was only when he became deaf that he could hear her clearly. It is an inspiring movie. If you love the music of Beethoven as I do I think you will enjoy this movie. I have to admit that I started to cry during one passage when a some favorite music of Beethoven's was being clarified and completed. Rent the movie or borrow it from the library. It is worth the price and the time.
I feel cheated as well as betrayed after watching "Copying Beethoven" as i had great expectations from this flick especially after watching "AMADEUS",a movie based on Mozart. I was really excited before seeing this movie as for me it was more of a battle between the two great musicians,Mozart and Beethoven. I had thoroughly enjoyed "AMADEUS" as it has been superbly made and the characters of Mozart and Saleri have been executed with sheer brilliance. However,in this flick there is no life to the portrayal of Beethoven and the movie was completely pivoted around his female Copyist which according o me made no sense at all and made the movie boring. Acting wise the movie is good but factually as well as emotionally the movie is completely unreal as i never felt any sympathy for neither Beethoven nor her Copyist. What was the need of creating all the hype about the female copyist when you already have a mind-blowing plot of Beethoven's later life struggle. The only good elements in the movie are the philosophical aspects of Beethoven,his dialogs full of substance and the heavenly music but again if u compare it with the way it has been shown in "AMADEUS", you will feel for yourself that its a no match to the completely power-packed,entertaining,gripping and soulful AMADEUS !!!!