Customer Reviews

The Double Life of Franz Schubert - A Dramatization of Schubert's Last Years

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Liszt declared Schubert to be the most poetic musician who has ever lived and to this day, he can still be considered one of the greatest composers of all time. He paved the way for aspiring composers with his Romantic melodies. His compositional style progressed rapidly throughout his career, and by the time he died, at the age of 31, he had written a wide range of music in various genres including opera, chamber and solo piano music. For the first time, Kultur released a dramatization of the life and works of this legendary composer. The Double Life of Franz Schubert explores the last two years of Schubert's life and features a large amount of music throughout the film. The movie begins with Schubert falling ill and his friend, poet Franz von Schober finding him and taking him to the hospital. As the doctors diagnose Schubert's symptoms as syphilis, finds their cause and administer treatment, the composer conducts his own internal imaginative examination and constantly thinks back to moments and music from his past life. He recalls his strict father who didn't want him to compose, his patron Michael Vogl, his friend Franz von Schober, and love of his life that inspired much of his music and knew he could never be with, Karoline Esterhazy. Some of Schubert's greatest works had spurred from this horrific period in time, and this DVD thoroughly displays an interesting look at the struggles Schubert faced and the accomplishments he achieved throughout his life. The works that came from Schubert's last two years of life reveal a composer increasingly meditating on the darker side of both his human psyche and human relationships. Schubert's struggle with syphilis, a disease he began fighting in 1822, fuels this fascinating short docudrama. Rather than permit the affliction to destroy his remaining years, the gifted musician used his pains as inspirational fuel for some of his most famous works. Despite grim circumstances, Schubert doesn't seem to regret abandoning teaching and his stern father to collaborate on an ill fated opera with the poet Franz Von Schober. Indeed, at the end of the film, it is said that Schubert's greatest work was composed in this period. Like Mozart, I always wonder what more glorious music would have been made had Schubert not died so young. Anyone who watches this DVD will certainly appreciate Schubert and his music so much more after you witness the torture and harsh treatment he was put through by doctors, hospital workers, and supposed friends when he was suffering so much.

This is really a must for Franz Schubert lovers. It gives a good view on his last years and his difficulties to be recognized as musician by his father. The actor is perfect in his role and gives agreat dimension to this movie.

This DVD contains a perversion of this magnificent composer's life by placing a grotesque and demonstrable emphasis on his ailment, his digusting reaction to it and precious little on his creativity.

They apparently believe they are being creative in making this movie by showing Schubert in his suffering drifting into creativity and such when infact all the gore and horror of his disease so graphically depicted detracts from the man and his gift.

Frankly I have never seen anything to equal the gross stupidity and horrid emphasis of this movie with regard to a creative genius.There was so much more that could have positively been done here rather than this excusion into hospital gore and suffering--COMPLETELY dstracting from who and what Scubert was.

That people suffer and have medical problems in life is a common occurence, but not everybody is a Schubert.

This movie is a failure in everyway conceivable and a total waste of an informed viewer's time, a disgrace and a failure in serving the memory of one of the greatest composers ever.

They the producers and directors should hang their head in shame in this artsy fartsy regurgitation and KURTUR should burn all copies of this trash.

I collect composer movie biographies, my favorite films; this one? Trash bin city. A pox on the house of the morons that produced this.

M. Pinsky

This was a horrible portrayal of a gifted composer. It was absolutely revolting to watch. The producers and writers of this film should be ashamed of themselves. DO NOT BUY THIS DVD.

First, let me say that I read the other reviews before deciding to order this DVD. My motivation was not to explore Schubert or his music but to study the prejudices and medical ignorance surrounding his illness. This explains my three-star rating as contrasted to the thumbs up or thumbs down of other reviewers.

This dramatization lacks balance, but it has "moments" but not the quality expected in something like Masterpiece Theatre.

In terms of the DVD itself, I was quite challenged. The first one I ordered could not be decoded despite no trouble with other DVDs from Kultur. The second appeared to have the same problem but it eventually played . . . well, that is obvious or I could not be writing a review, but be prepared to download decoding software.

If you think you are going to hear a glorious "Ave Maria," put this out of your mind. The best you get musically is a bit of the Trout Quintet.

This DVD focuses on tragic weaknesses and embraces the conventional stigmatizing views of the "French" disease. However, it is not only about weakness but about the horrors of treatment in a Viennese hospital. There is no profound dialogue, no wit, no insights into Schubert's muse, and no real relief from darkness. Oh, there are, as I said, "moments" but even these are clouded.

To the best of my understanding, the history of his illness is not reliable. Schubert apparently knew from age 19 that he had contracted syphilis. Therefore, even the comments at the end of the DVD are misleading.

I was prepared to be disappointed, but this fell below my expectations. While awaiting the arrival of the DVD, I watched a lot of videos of Schubert on youtube.com so if it's the music you love, buy a CD and spare yourself the gloom of this feeble attempt to portray something about the composer's premature departure from Earth existence.

As for my personal motivations, I was looking for something redeeming to argue another perspective on spirochetes and a therapy that does not rely on substances known to be toxic. Even with these unusual motivations, nothing was added to my education.

Then, we have to ask whether to be worthwhile, art needs to reveal more. In this case, I believe it would have been reasonable to expect more insight into Schubert's torments and source of inspiration.

Good music for 50 minutes, but you can get more music for less money from a CD. The video was not worth watching, it was repulsive. I was disgusted and gave it to our local library.