Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky [VHS]

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

 

 

This film is closely linked to what must have a passionate, personal crusade for Dimitri Tiomkin. The film is well crafted and is best watched in Russian with English sub-titles. It was shot in Russia. The dubbed English version is irritating. The flim concentrates on the curious relationship of Tchaikovsky and his rich patron Madame von Meck - they never met. Locations and interiors are superb with some great performances by the large supporting cast. What is missing, of course, is the question of the sexuality of Tchaikovsky but the period detail is fascinating and genuine. There is little for the sensation seeker but a great deal for those interested in Tchaikovsky, 19th century Russia, and, indeed, for Hollywood movie music buffs interested in the great Dimitri Tiomkin. A most interesting contrast to Ken Russell's overheated The Music Lovers

There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that this is a film filled to the brim with film cliches portraying Tchaikers as a genius modern artist, struggling with an ungrateful public for recognition. The good news is... Oooh, they do it so well!!! This film really moved me, the portrayal of Tchaikovsky was so absorbing that it really matters to you as you watch it if things go right or wrong for him. I was carried away, and recommend what I expected to be a slightly dodgy soviet biopic which turned out to be a great film. The Soviets could do 'Amadeus' any day of the week!

Fans of P.I. Tchaikovsky's music will be touched by Innokenti Smoktunovsky's portrayal of the composer. Smoktunovsky gives us the right combination of introversion, pain (not too much, not overdone), shyness, sensitivity, and personal trauma. Those of us who have enjoyed the actor's performance of HAMLET in Kozintsev's movie will not be disappointed. We truly feel sorry for Tchaikovsky in the end. Nadezhda VON MECK and the conceited (but gold hearted) RUBINSTEIN are also well portrayed. Their presence has a powerful impact on us. In the visuals and great acting lie all the power of this movie.
As a biography, the work unfortunately does not break new ground. Tchaikovsky's painful struggle with homosexuality is not touched upon (only suggested through subtle hints). 1972 Soviet censorship would, of course, have blocked any suggestions that one of their cultural icons suffered with this issue. Also, the movie uses a special sound filter on Tiomkin's arrangements that are meant to portray the inner workings of the composer's mind during the creative process. This filtering, however, sounds cheezy and distracts the viewer more than anything.
A beautiful and evoctive portrait of the times otherwise. The movie does cover most of the "acceptable" annectdotes of the composer's life in a most touching manner (Desiree Artot, the circumstances behind his disastrous marriage, Nadezhda Von Meck, and, of course, the matter of "diverging octaves" in the famous Piano Concerto's 1st mouvement). Thirty years later, the movie has the feel of well crafted and sensible PUBLIC TELEVISION production that will touch and educate us. This is not money wasted.

This is an excellent film. Beautifully photographed. Russia as I imagined it at that period in history Very well acted.

A product of the late Soviet era, this film is a cluster of near-perfection in visual, sound and scenario, all of which with persuading Russianness.
One can hardly believe that all one sees are actors; Piotr is Piotr, in appearance and manners, so are Madame von Meck, Rubinstein and other characters.
The story is rather focused on the relationship between Piotr and Madame von Meck. Obviously the director wanted the film a work of art, not a documentary. Profound words of life's anguish and joy are unforgettable, and persuasive enough to explain the secrets of his music.
Visuals are aesthetic and deliberate. Interesting is the sound; rather than threading perfect recordings of familiar works, one often hears unfamiliar arrangement or unusual patchworking of tunes, as if they were resonating in the composer's head.
In short, this film makes one experience what it is like to be a contemporary of the great composer, or to be himself.

I came to this movie as a great admirer of the pathos of Tchaikovsky's music and of his life story, both of which I relate deeply to. I hadn't known about this film, though I had seen "The Music Lovers" and the 2007 BBC docudrama "Tchaikovsky", both of which left me wanting. Nobody seems to get the Tchaikovsky life story quite right, though each has admirable elements. But "Amadeus" and "Immortal Beloved" are much more inspiring portrayals of Mozart and Beethoven, respectively, than this film is of Tchaikovsky. Had I not already been a great admirer of his, I don't think this film would have made me one.

Overall, I liked the sullen mood of the film as it seemed to fit its subject, though at times he seems a bit too morose. This is made all the more annoying by the fact that the film doesn't delve into the possible reasons for Tchaikovsky's melancholy, and doesn't seem to care to. Certainly his sexual orientation, in a society where being gay was considered shameful and worthy of banishment to Siberia, played a considerable role, but this was summarily ignored. And I find it hard to believe that there wasn't some joy in Tchaikovsky's life, especially when he was being lauded for his brilliant work. He was the most famous composer in Russia, even in his lifetime. His letters indicate great pride and satisfaction at key moments in his life, but in the film he rarely cracks a smile and this gets tiresome. Nobody is morose all the time. His trip to America near the end of his life, which was highly successful, is ignored. The theme from the Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture, arguably the greatest musical expression of love in the world, is also ignored. The 1812 Overture is not mentioned. These are some of the composer's best known works, though admittedly they may not have been in his lifetime. Nevertheless, their absence was notable.

This film does a few things very well. The cinematography is appealing and painted on a large palette, with intriguing locations, grand scenes, and an authentic feel for Russia and Tchaikovsky's world. But perhaps its most striking credential is the amazing physical resemblance of its star, acclaimed Russian actor Innokenti Smoktunovsky, to Tchaikovsky. It is haunting. I felt as though I were watching actual physical footage of the great composer (of which none exists, of course... he died in 1893), and found this mesmerizing. It lends the film an intimate feel, as though we are actually in Tchaikovsky's world because it is so easy to believe that the man we see on the screen is indeed him. This alone bumped my review up to a fourth star.

Yet ultimately, what I find most annoying about the film is the cheap, tinny sound it gives to Tchaikovsky's incredibly beautiful music. It is treated with all the dignity of a carnival merry-go-round, feeling rushed, comic and casual. What a great disservice this does, and this more than anything else hurts the film. Were the music handled with the glory and richness it deserves, the film would have much greater impact and feeling, and would easily win converts. If I were a Tchaikovsky neophyte, I would not rush out to buy a CD after seeing this film, and that is a great shame.

There is one poignant musical scene, however, the likes of which the movie could have used much more of. Tchaikovsky borrowed many of his tunes from folk songs, mostly of Russia, but also from his travels abroad to Europe. In the scene in question, the composer is having lunch in Paris while we hear accordion music coming from the street below. Astute listeners will recognize it as the melancholy tune from the slow movement of Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony. This subtle fact may be lost on the uninitiated, but I found it beautifully executed.

There is also a revealing and poignant(and imaginary) scene on a train between Tchaikovsky and his wealthy patron, Nadezhda von Meck. The two corresponded prolifically for over a decade, but never met (at her insistence), and were perfect soulmates for each other. Their exchanges were often quite frank. She wrote to him, "I am very unsympathetic in my personal relations because I do not possess any femininity whatever; second, I do not know how to be tender, and this characteristic has passed on to my entire family. All of us are afraid to be affected or sentimental..." No wonder she adored Tchaikovsky's music: it exquisitely said what she could not. We feel for her, and instantly realize that Tchaikovsky suffers from the same affliction.

This film could have been so much better, but it contains enough worthy elements that I decided to purchase it. The striking physical resemblance of the actor to his character, the glimpses of Tchaikovsky's genius, the Russian landscape, and the healthy dose of "Queen of Spades" (one of my favorite operas, and one of Tchaikovsky's most successful) all bode well for future viewings. But when I want to enjoy the composer's glorious music, I'll pop in a CD instead.

Interesting, of course the music is great, photography i good, but dramatisation is lousy.

I am a big fan of Tchaikovsky so I looked forward to hearing and finding out more about him and his music. The structure of the film was well-done as we start with telling scenes from his youth and young adulthood. He was an innovator with his music and we are shown why. We seem to settle in on his career as an established composer of World reknown. His friends, his detractors, his love interests all weave in and out of the bulk of the film. For that aspect of "Tchaikovsky" the movie deserves a 4 Star rating. What bothered me about this film was an admittedly selfish perspective. I was missing "1812 Overture", "Marche Slav" as well as all but a brief movement from "Nutcracker Suite". I was glad to "discover" that he composed operas and a lot more music than I was aquainted with. But when the film ended without my musical expectations being met, I rated my disappointment more than my approval by giving it 3 Stars. I'd gladly reconsider but, three days later, I still disappointed.

DOESN'T say too much ......... A sanitized version of "The Music Lovers"? ....... Pretty Postcards ....... ?

WELL, 'yes' it is all of the above! When will we ever get a difinitive version of Tchaikovsky's life? Well, not here, in this pleasant version we travel the all too familiar routes, his obsession with music, the mentor, the wife, the ending, very pretty to look at [all eye-shadow and hairdo's - HIS though, also too present in the Russell version]. There's unfortunately nothing new to learn here. [This version fits well in the lavish 1950 Hollywood bio period - good to have on the rack, but rather forgettable].

ON the positive side, it's a lavish production, a double-disc set with lots of 'bits and pieces' - but again - more of a primer and very safe for the kiddies, and the very young music lover.

FOR ADULTS? Well, perhaps some budding auteur will regard this man's life very closely, and give us really something new to look at, remember and applaud!

I am a musician so i always buy from amazon the composer history DVD,i can`t believe act tchaikovsky that guy also is a famouse russian composer Dimitri Tiomkin,he is a famouse pianist and composer he born in 1894 died in 1979,in the movie they speak in russian but they have english subtitle,and this movie is very good for who like classical music and studying classical music,and the movie is very long and you will getting a bit boring went you watch this movie but it was a true story of tchaikovsky whole life,if you are a musician you must buy it!