Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

atlasmb I have always thought how amazing it would have been to have attended the first playing of a Mozart composition, a Beethoven symphony or, perhaps, a Chopin sonata--to hear it with fresh ears within the context of its time. What a privilege!"Eroica" transports the viewer to the first performance of Beethoven's "Eroica", which was a tribute to Napoleon. In attendance are a handful of lucky music lovers and the staff who attend the home of Prince Lobkowitz (Jack Davenport), Beethoven's host and benefactor. The audience includes some knowledgeable listeners, some friends of Beethoven, and some neophyte ears.The direction is very intimate, allowing the camera to move around the salon as freely as the listeners. It rests on faces to register their dismay, surprise, confusion or elation. This new symphony defies conventions and, understandably, is not easily absorbed. The film poses some questions. "Can music exist independently of politics?" The answer appears to be no, but in the end, Beethoven's symphony manages to honor its true inspiration, despite political changes, thus transcending politics. "What is genius?" An insightful deviation from norms?The music reflects Beethoven's essence. It is romantic, moody, urgent, brooding, tempestuous. Beethoven, with his tragic life view, is a dark visage. He is a tool perfect for one thing--the expression of that artistic genius. Ian Hart certainly looks as we expect Beethoven to look, and he really seems to own the music as only its creator could.One latecomer to the concert is Josef Haydn (Frank Finlay), representing the old guard. He recognizes, perhaps sadly, the revolution inherent in what he hears.How wonderful to enjoy Beethoven's Third through such an immersive experience. Music lovers should find this film captivating.

Ana_Banana This film could have been great, based on its rather accurate facts and atmosphere, but at a second and deeper look it seems a hidden failure to me. Let me try to explain that, as I flatter myself to be knowing Beethoven's oeuvre rather well. First, from a musical and historical point of view, besides the smaller, yet passable inaccuracies or doubtful things (the orchestra was smaller, Lobkowitz may have had more guests attending to the new symphony, Haydn may not have been that 'intellectually' expressing himself and not even present, etc), the main flaw is that a new composition very rarely makes its full impact already at its premiere. The various reactions of the audience look oddly exaggerated, even though people attending concerts in that era and especially in Vienna have been reacting spontaneously at the details of music. Then, of course no orchestra on Earth could have played so fine (Gardiner is one of the greatest conductors of our time) that huge, complex and ground-breaking masterpiece at first sight, and thus the struggle between Beethoven's expectations and the musicians' possibilities would have brought in a more accurate and dramatic element to the movie.Secondly, from a cinematic point of view, if you weren't a Beethoven buff, it's hard to bear a film centered around the performance of a single work which lasts 45-50 min. I doubt whether that premiere really generated immediately the feel of one of the greatest turning points in music history (which of course the Heroic Symphony was). Much more dramatic and with a great potential for evolving would have been the genesis of the work in Beethoven's mind during his extremely busy years of 1801-1803 (growing deafness, the hints at suicide in the 'Heiligenstadt testament', the failed relationship with Julie Guicciardi, the acquaintance with Bernadotte, the growing infatuation with Josephine, the many compositions etc). In its present state, the film is static, the characters are not evolving, and Ian Hart's performance is almost one-sided (and he looks strangely unfamiliar with that long hair, while Beethoven had a shorter hairstyle in his younger years). On the plus side is the presence of Beethoven's 'immortal beloved' Josephine, but why did they pile up so many emotional events during that concert (even twisting their time line)? That's lame, unreal and melodramatic. And sadly, despite all these, in a way this may be the best Beethoven movie so far, because it's the most accurate and tightly knit. But strangely, as I have said before, it almost missed its point.

Twelvefield I stumbled across this film being played on television. I figured that the TV guide had misspelled "Erotica", but as it turns out this is very much a G-Rated picture. It's almost a biopic, a bit more than a lengthy music video. It's an afternoon in the life of Ludwig von Beethoven, set to the music of his third symphony.The events of Beethoven's life seem compressed and shoveled into the 90 minutes of the film. We see how he deals with large issues like Napeoleonic politics, patronage, love, and hearing loss, as well as smaller issues like arranging music and the most efficient means of belittling his assistant.What I found fascinating was being able to see how the characters of the period responded to the music as it was being played. I have a distant knowledge of Beethoven's works, and while they are certainly powerful and turbulent, I lack the context of the music of the era. Seeing the patrons react to various passages of the music (which to my untrained ear just sounds pretty) and hearing them comment on the work as it progressed was for me highly illuminating.What a thrill it would be to be able to walk around an orchestra as it plays! That would be the ultimate in surround sound! I was jealous of the characters as they mingled around the players, who from what I can tell were using period-correct instruments.

JimShine For some puzzling reason, I never really "got" the Eroica, but thanks to this marvellous production I (and hopefully many others) finally understand not only why the symphony was so important but also why it's so good! The basic idea of the film is that Prince Lobkowitz's orchestra is giving the first performance of the symphony for the prince and princess, the composer, and a few guests. After a shortish buildup to introduce the characters, the orchestra begins - and carries on for most of the film. As the music plays, we watch the characters listening, and occasionally hear their opinions. There is outrage when a trumpet comes in at the "wrong" time; smiles at certain musical turns of phrase; frowns at how loud it is. This superb film marries a great performance of a great work with an intelligent effort to put the whole thing in the context of its time. It isn't a film for people who already know all about the Eroica, but for a viewer who doesn't know Haydn from Howard Shore it must surely be enlightening.