Customer Reviews

Meeting Venus [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Germany ]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For classical music fans this film is an absolute delight, but even if you are not into opera you will love it. It is a great and complicated love story between a diva and a conductor. The film is also a wonderfully drawn vignette of the cultural clashes and ego-battles that accompany the birth of a great opera production.

When I first read about the movie I had trouble seeing Glenn Close in the role of an opera diva, but she does a marvelous job, and her lip-synching to the absolutely divine soundtrack of Kiri te Kanawa is really pretty good. Her counterpart Nils Arestrup does a wonderful job as well, playing the introvert, yet passionate conductor, for whom the whole Paris opera experience is alien and strange in more than one way.

The soundbites from Wagner's Tannhaeuser are well-picked and enchanting.
Some people may find the overall storyline predictable, but that does not take away from the overall very high quality of this movie

It is a delight not only for classical music fans but for anybody interested in the cinema with the European flavour! And that is what "Meeting Venus" is really about: music and Europe, the latter after the transformations of the recent times. But don't worry, it's not a hard to digest treatise on the European problems, but a light satire marvellously performed by an international cast led by Glenn Close and Niels Arestrup. The plot is very simple - a Hungarian conductor comes to Paris to lead "Opera Europa" in a goofy production of Wagner's "Tannhauser" [It is "Tannhauser" with "a concept" - the term, well known to the opera goers, refers to the opera productions that follow director's, NOT composer's vision of the work, like Peter Sellars's Mozart in modern costumes and settings - Sellars is the best known American "concept" director. There has been a true epidemic of "concept" productions in Europe in the recent decade and it is good to remember it while watching "Meeting Venus"]. Everything seems to conspire against the talented and energetic conductor and the final catastrophy is near, but... I won't give away everything, even if it really doesn't matter if you know the ending. I watched this movie many times and every time I come back to it, I discover many new details. I understand it better and better - not only as a wonderful metaphor, but also at the very basic linguistic level: poor diction (combined with poor English pronunciation) of some actors in the secondary roles makes this movie a little hard to understand, especially for people for whom English is a foreign language (I am one of them). It is a little hard, as I said, but not impossible - I want to emphasize it because I believe that people with the European, but not necessarily Anglo-Saxon background are the most likely to be interested in this very European movie. So, be prepared to use your "rewind" button quite often! If you do not know the story of "Tannhauser", it would be good if you can familiarize yourself with the libretto of the opera before you start watching the movie. It is not necessary, but it will help you understand (and enjoy) a lot, including the ending. If you dislike Wagner (as I do most of the time), do not let this prevent you from watching "Meeting Venus". You'll hear the famous ouverture and the glorious pilgrim's chorus, which are wonderful pieces of music. The final chorus will leave you spellbound! To sum up - this is a delightful, wonderfully performed movie and it is very likely to be one of your favorites, as it is mine. And just a final word to these movie lovers who do not care about music, whether by Wagner or not: even if music is an important element of "Meeting Venus", you can easily enjoy the movie without caring for its soundtrack. Just make sure you read the opera's libretto - that is enough to understand the movie's message. But don't be surprised if, after having met Venus you'll find yourself in the classical CD shop looking for "The Best of Wagner". Fragments from "Tannhauser" are guaranteed to be there, because IT IS (some of) the best of Wagner. Enjoy!

Maltin's synopsis and evaluation of the movie sum it up well, so there's not much more to say. It's a real pleasure to watch. Classical and/or opera fans will find it irresistable. There's something about the movie's pacing that will make it appeal to them. If you're not a classical fan, some of you may consider it a mere "chick flick." Some have criticized it as being too soap opera-ish. I dislike soap operas. I would have noticed. It didn't strike me that way. The cast members all gave excellent performances, though Close didn't come across all that well as a Swede. The characters' opera-sized egos made them a bit buffoonish, but it was all still effective. Both Close and Arenstrup were fascinatingly inscrutable in their motivations and compulsions. It was very entertaining to watch Szanto/Tannhäuser in his struggle to come to terms with his feelings for Anderson/Venus. There's a nice little twist at the end of the movie that works perfectly. Wagner's music is woven in beautifully throughout. "Meeting Venus" is a must-see for any classical/opera fan and anyone who likes a witty and accessable non-Hollywood movie.

Until we get a U.S. DVD release of this movie, this foreign version is the best we can do. I'd like to think that at some point in the future, "Meeting Venus" will be known to the wider public (and not just the 10 or so of us that have seen it) as one of the very best movies of the entire 1990s--which it is. I saw this in a movie theater in 1992, and it so blew me away I saw it a second time the next night. It's all here and it all works--an incredibly pointed commentary on the fall of the Iron Curtain and the re-surfacing of European nationalism, a tremendously funny movie about the classical music world that has far more truth about it than anyone would want to acknowledge, a wonderfully warm comedy about human failings and triumphs, and a load of truths about life itself (however uncomfortable they are at time). In the final analysis, "Meeting Venus is a remarkable mix of warm, embracing, life affirming, and yes, even bittersweet. This movie has never left me since I saw it 16 years ago, and I hope it never does. Thank you, Istvan Szabo, for a great, great film. "Meeting Venus" aims very high--and hits the bullseye.

2010 UPDATE: Warner Brothers has released "Meeting Venus" on DVD in its "Warner Brothers Archive" shop online (you can search for the website). Finally, we now have a DVD version available of this fantastic movie!

Hace tiempo vi esta magnifica produccion y desde entonces he pensado en adquirirla para mis tertulias de profesor de apreciacion musical. Lamentablemente solamente presentamos musica en DVD's. Anhelamos todos que esta gran pelicula sea llevada a este medio audio-visual. De la musica solo quisiera decir que esta muy bien elegida y las interpretaciones de Dame Kiri Te Kanawa merecen diez estrellas al menos. Me gustaria que todos los amantes de la musica clasica se unieran a este pedido mio para pedir la version en DVD. Gracias.

"Meeting Venus" is sadly one of the least respected and watched films by the great Hungarian filmmaker Istvan Szabo. And what a pity that is! I had the honor (and it was indeed a great honor) of meeting Istvan Szabo, and we talked about his work and the impact his work has left on me. Not once did he mention this film.

"Meeting Venus" seems to be working on a few levels. It is kind of hard to pin down exactly one theme I feel the movie is playing around with most. I can see a social comment on the "new Europe". This film was made in 1991. The "cold war" has come to an end. The former "Eastern bloc" is now free. With that in mind, how will the "east" and "west" now get along? I can also see a comment being made about the importance of art. The film is about a production of Wagner's "Tannhauser" and the complication which go along with the rehearsals.

A Hungarian conductor, Zoltan Szanto (played by non-Hungarian actor Niels Arestrup) has been sent to Paris at the request of Jorge Picabia (the great Ingmar Bergman actor, Erland Josephson) and fellow Hungarian Jean Gabor (Mosko Alkalai) to conduct their new version of "Tannhauser" which will star a tempermental Swedish diva (played by American actress Glenn Close). With such an international cast, also consisting of Italians, Frenchmen and Germans, we are getting a commentary on how these group of strong nationalist are going to get along and unit into one Europe. As the production goes on however Szanto and Karin Anderson (Close) begin to have an affair. Something Karin is no stranger to and doesn't seem to mind Szanto has a wife, Edith (Dorottya Udvaros).

For those who don't know what "Tannhauser" is about, to put it briefly it deals with the struggle between sacred and profane love, and redemption through love based on two Germanic legends. And we can definitely see that being mirror in the film due to the relationship between the conductor and the diva and the conductors committment to finish the opera.

In this sense "Meeting Venus" resembles a film many people seem to think is Szabo's best work, "Mephisto". That film also dealt with the challenges and responsibilities an artist must face. If you recall Klaus Maria Brandauer would constantly say "I'm only an actor", meaning, as I interpret it, I can cannot change the world. I am helpless and must only deal with my art. We are getting a somewhat similar message here in this film but in an opposite form. The conductor is trying to tell everyone, art must bring us together. As artist we have a shared power and responsibility.

In the opening scene of the film Szanto complains how is mistreated in the west (Paris) and his passport is inspected and he is the only person who has his luggage searched. He muses to himself,can they smell Eastern Europe on him? Why don't they accept us as part of Europe? To this very day there is some tension between "east" and "west". As a Hungarian myself, with many friends still in Hungary, they have ill feelings towards western Europe. Here, in these scenes Szabo is making a comment on this tension.

While I must admit "Meeting Venus" does not reach the heights of Istvan Szabo's other works such as "Father", "Love Film", "Mephisto" or my personal favorite "Sunshine" it is still an engaging film. It ask us to think about things and how we view the world. It doesn't deserve the lack of attention it has been meet with from audiences. It is a very good film and should be put on DVD. Nearly all of Szabo's other films are, so why not? The film was also nominated for the "Golden Lion" at the Venice Film Festival.

Bottom-line: Engaging, intelligent film which sadly has not found much of an audience. Maybe because it was made by Szabo or people were afraid it would be in Hungarian or because it is about an opera, regardless the film deserves a second chance.

Everything I wanted to say to praise this film is already been written.
I just want to add: Should we change the name of the movie to The Meeting
Venus Massacre and insert a scene with Britney Spears singing Un Bel Di
with a disco beat?. You would find the widescreen special edition dvd
in the stores in a few days. How Sad.

The tumultuous preparation of Wagner 's Tannhauser will work out as fabulous hook to this superb director (once of the top ten directors all over the world) to express the art is the only device to rejoin the different cultures and with major emphasis a continent: Europe.

Until this date I have not seen any film of this outstanding director that may be classified of minor. He has this devoted feature, the Midas touch, a symptomatic characteristic of the genius in progress.

The cast is fabulous. Glenn Close had to be nominated to the Academy Award for this unerring and towering performance. Glenn Close 's voice is dubbed by Kiri Te Kanawa.

Others have ably summarized the plot of the film. One need not love opera--or even have to like it--to fully enjoy this movie. And those who do, will love the beautifully rendered Tannhauser selections. When I saw it 25 years ago, I saw it predominantly as a comedy. Everything seemed funny, from the interpersonal squabbles, bureaucratic disruptions, and production conceipt, to the love affair and its consequences. Having seen the film again recently, I saw it predominantly as a tragedy. I recalled all of the plot elements in precise detail, yet they all stuck me differently, so many years later. It's a rare film that can be perceived in completely opposite ways depending on the perspective of the viewer. It's a pity that it's not available in a Region 1 DVD, but you can buy a perfectly good VHS copy (the Amazon $4.99 copy is advertised as "used but like new," and it really is) and enjoy this film for the price of a couple of rentals. See it.

I made the mistake of lending my VHS of Meeting Venus to a "friend" who has since lost it. No matter, I'll just get the DVD ...NOT! I agree wholeheartedly with the earlier reviewer, this is a gem of a movie. Brilliant mix of satire, humor, romance and the opera-biz all played out on a world stage somewhat removed from most of us, yet getting more familiar all the time...Eastern Europe. I doubt that my current DVD player will handle this format, so I'll have to wait. But, when you get a chance, if you like movies where the action is driven from the passion and talent in the lives of the characters, don't miss this one, it's lovely, and easily my favorite of Glenn Close's performances!