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The Red Violin 1998 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by François Girard
R, 131 min. (nudity, language, sexuality) |
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Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Don McKellar, Carlo Cecchi, Irene Grazioli, Jean-Luc Bideau, Christoph Koncz, Jason Flemyng, Greta Scacchi, Sylvia Chang, Liu Zifeng, C. Feore
Producer: Niv Fichman
Screenplay: François Girard, Don McKellar
Cinematography: Alain Dostie
Distributor: Lions Gate Films
Released: 6/11/99 (Limited)
(In English, French, German, Mandarin, and Italian with subtitles) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
The Red Violin is a craftily filmed picture on a grand scale - it encompasses over 300 years and visits several countries and
cultures along the way. It follows the long but interesting journey of a violin - one that has a mysterious past (its red color
that is) and the sound of perfection, resulting from the ultimate work of art by one of Italy's best craftsman. This work of
perfection is used for and against its intended purpose, finally arriving at an auction in 1997 Montreal. We see most of man's
strengths and weaknesses along the way, most of which identify with at least one person in a theater audience.
It seems almost inconceivable that this film only runs just over two hours considering the number of stories presented, and the
detail that must be reached in roughly 25 minutes for each "segment." The story actually begins at the end, where the violin
is up for auction in Montreal. Charles Morritz (Samuel L. Jackson), an expert evaluator of authenticity, stumbles across the
red violin and instantly begins to investigate its craftsmanship and history. The film takes us through a series of five stories,
intermingled with scenes from Montreal and the ongoing investigation by Morritz. The stories told include: 1) the violin's
maker, Nicolo Bussotti (Carlo Cecchi), works endlessly on a new violin for his unborn child, while his wife visits a fortune-teller,
2) a young orphan, Kaspar Weiss (Christoph Koncz), is the prodigy of Georges Poussin (Jean-Luc Bideau) and tries to become
a king's musician, 3) a concert violinist, Lord Frederick Pope (Jason Flemyng), uses the violin for some of his finest work (and
pleasure), 4) the violin ends up in early 1900's Shanghai, where Xiang Pei (Sylvia Chang) hides it in an attempt to cover up her
love for Western music, and finally 5) the auction in Montreal, and the ensuing discovery of the violin's mysterious color.
Most of the stories are involving, except for the Shanghai one where it's so rushed we're not able to connect to the characters
at all. The best story is probably the young orphan and his master, and their failed attempt to succeed in the king's court. You
feel a real sense of loss (in a tragic sense) when the story is finished. Director François Girard uses the technique of flashbacks
from Montreal where distant relatives from the various stories are in attendance, all wanting to own the violin that eluded their
ancestors at one time.
Undoubtedly, the film's strength comes from its cinematography and haunting music, which fits each story perfectly. Whether
it's in 1681 Italy or the Swiss Alps, lasting images are presented, combined with competent directing and editing, that make the
film a fascinating look at varying locales. Obviously, with a film about a violin, the music must match its subject matter, and in
this case it does so with an exclamation point. Each piece of music is matched with the overall mood of each story, engaging
the viewer in a way that otherwise may have been more difficult to achieve.
The performances in the film are difficult to evaluate, mainly because of time contraints. But Samuel L. Jackson shines as
a connoisseur of rare musical instruments - he combines a laid back approach to his work, allowing his expressions to tell
what's really going on inside his head. It's a fine performance.
The Red Violin is about perfection, and the attainment of it. No matter how good a person is at their craft, there is always
someone better, something more to shoot for. I think this is what Girard is trying to impart in his picture, that man is
always striving for something that is probably unattainable. It's how we accept the knowledge of this that's really important.
And in this film, some can cope with this realization, and some cannot.
© 2000 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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