Customer Reviews

Song Without End

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

We have recently bought this DVD from Amazon as the clarity of the picture is shocking, it is out of focus most of the time! The subtitles in English are absolutely incorrect and bizarre. At the same time we bought another classic DVD and it was perfect. Very disappointing! Perhaps we have received a bad copy. Is there anything that can be done about this.

I WAS BARELY 10 MINUTES INTO THE MOVIE WHEN I NOTICED (I HAD THE VHS; WHEN I GOT THE DVD I SENT THE VHS TO MY SISTER...WHAT A MISTAKE!)A KEY SCENE WAS NOT THERE..AND, I AM SPEAKING OF ABOUT 5 MINUTES OF LIZST ON A CHURCH ORGAN AND THE DUST-UP AND DECISION THAT FOLLOWED. SO, WHEN HE NEXT APPEARS AT A CONCERT HALL, YOU WONDER WHY. FORGET ABOUT THE DVD UNLESS...AND I AM NOT SURE MORE SCENES HAVE NOT BEEN CUT AS I STOPPED TO WRITE THIS REVIEW SOON AS I SAW THAT AT LEAST ONE SCENE WAS GONE...YOU DO NOT WANT THE WHOLE MOVIE. WHAT A WASTE!! I WILL BE SELLING DVD AS SOON AS I CAN FIND A NEW/USED VHS!

I have gone through this film twice and still find this interesting.

This is not a documentary and as such don't expect too much depth or insight from this portrayal of Liszt, or else most of audience might be bored to death. Who cares about his study with Czerny or his religious faith in such a film anyway?

Instead, we have quite a lot of romances with pretty faces, elegant dresses and magnificent palaces. There was even a brief mention about Chopin and Wagner in the background. Visual effect was excellent and even the actor on the piano was so remarkable.

I'm not too sure though if Boglet would suit the taste of all piano lovers, probably not: Liszt is Liszt, who can compare with him when even Anton Rubinstein wanted to be his pupil. But for the general audience, it's just marvelous. The sound is wonderful too, not just the music,the dialoges too.

The plot was forceful and the rhythm fast and there is not a single scene that is boring. The result: one could easily sit still in front of it for the whole length of 130 minutes and for twice.

Highly recommended.

I remember seeing this film in CinemaScope when it was first released. It was excelent in color and four track stereo sound. This film was such a major release in Australia that Columbia had an intermission during screening. Why hasn't a good 16:9 digial transfer to DVD been produced for this feature? Further, why has it been cut?

Why does Hollywood distort reality and fabricate (...) fiction? Liszt had one of the most fascinating lives in 19th Century Europe, so why not stick to facts rather than conjure up poor fiction. Right from the start it's evident that they had little knowledge of Liszt by starring Dirk Bogarde, with short curly hair, as Liszt! Did they bother to even look at a photo or painting of Liszt... who had long straight hair! That visual inaccuracy sets the tone for the rest of this character assassination Without End.
The ridiculous notion that Liszt felt inferior to Chopin for not writing music is utter nonsense. The early version of Liszt's monumental "Transcendental Etudes" began in 1828, long before he even met Chopin! These pieces are some of the most revolutionary scores ever written for the piano! Yet, this film makes Liszt out to be a sap as a composer. Likewise, it also distorts his relationship with the Countess, who is made out to be a poor angelic figure coldly trampled upon by Liszt. Factual History knows she had emotional problems before meeting Liszt, which flared and became worse culminating into the major cause of their separation. Her brutal retaliation was to write a biting novel about Liszt years later. Some of the story is accurate especially his devotion and philosophy towards Art, which saves this film from getting a half star rating. Watch knowing the falsehoods and strong points mentioned herein and you should find some enjoyment. Especially since Jorge Bolet's sound track is the redeeming part of this film, as no matter how hard someone tries to defame Liszt...his powerful music shall eternally and triumphantly rise above such mediocrity.

Don't buy this. The DVD is too poorly made to be enjoyable or even watchable. The picture is jittery and the colors are faded. The DVD is a Chinese-made piece of junk. Perhaps if you paid $1 for it from a street vendor in Beijing you'd be content, but this is in no way a commercially marketable product.

The movie itself is excellent, BTW . . .

I cannot believe what poor quality this DVD has! It's blurry, the sound is bad, scenes have been cut. This is a total waste of money! Thank God I saved my VHS copy. I love this movie and I can't imagine why they desecrated it like this. Hang onto your VHS copies or try to find them, they are 100 times better!

While the costumes were beautiful and the acting very good, no one can deny the magnificence of the virtuoso of Lizst and Jorge Bolet's interpretations of his music. I was spellbound by each piece that I heard! I was intrigued by the acting of Dirk Bogarde as (after reading about Lizst's life) he conveyed in less than 2 hours, the essence of Liszt's struggle with living life between heaven and hell. A feast and a treasure for those who might dare enter the tormented world of Liszt!!!

I waited several years for a DVD version of Song Without End. In Aug.09 I find it, but thank heavens I read the reviews. I shall keep my VCR copy forever but I will never buy the DVD.

I fell in love with Dirk Bogarde in "The Night Porter". I was fascinated by his acting, his expressions that revealed a dark, intrinsic tortured soul.
With this film, I discovered another Dirk Bogarde, younger and handsome, lively and passionate.
I grew tired of Liszt, but this film, with the superb piano sound, played by young Jorge Bolet, has renewed my interest for the composer.
The most enjoyable moments for me watching this film is obviously Bogarde's acting as a pianist. There are many piano recital scenes that made me realize how difficult it is to play Liszt's compositions.
Bogarde is equally moving and impressive as a pianist. He is irrefutably one of the most intricate actors I have ever seen.