User Reviews

On his deathbed, Beethoven, the greatest of all composers, leaves a note to his "Immortal Beloved." Like Citizen Kane's "Rosebud," this becomes a device to see the life of Beethoven through flashbacks. This interesting mixture of fact and fiction provides a portrait of the composer's social life but sheds little light on his genius for writing music. The soundtrack is all Beethoven (except for a little Rossini), as we get to hear bits and pieces of many of his works. The "Ode to Joy" sequence is well done, juxtaposing the premier of the 9th Symphony with flashbacks to Ludwig's childhood. However, the disjointed structure makes for a somewhat unsatisfying experience. Oldman certainly looks like Beethoven and manages to convey the anguish of a man who never heard most of his greatest works due to deafness, the most cruel fate for a composer.

Bernard Rose's superior film about the life of Ludwig van Beethoven takes as its central premise a mention in the composer's will of an 'immortal beloved', identity unknown. So far, so intriguing.

With the casting of versatile British actor Gary Oldman as Beethoven, there was potential for a lot of depth of character (which we get, as the passage of time convinces throughout as Beethoven moves from skirt-chasing youth to crabby and deaf old age).

Also impressive within the cast are Jeroen Krabbé as Schindler, Johanna ter Steege as Johanna Reiss, and Isabella Rossellini as Anna Marie Erdody. What could have been a stodgy film is buoyed up greatly by their presence, but it is the central performance of Oldman which counts (he really is a peerless performer of real-life characters - Sid Vicious, Joe Orton, Lee Harvey Oswald ...).

My only gripe would be that the music is sometimes given short shrift, but when it is there, it is wonderful. You get the emotional impact in the snatches of sonatas, symphonies and concertos you hear - but it would have been nice to acknowledge that the film was about a creative artist and musician and let us hear a bit more of his work!

Once again, a film of such glory fell on deaf ears - no pun intended - in this country. I have spent hours reading reviews on this film, stating how awful it was, because it was not true to the real Beethoven's life.... Well, I believe that early on in my life, I learned about some- thing called "Poetic License"....and, in fact, this film IS, basically, a poem. The movie is BASED on a letter that Beethoven actually DID write, to his mystery lover. No one knows, for sure, who the woman really was. And, this is simply a beautiful interpretation of someone's dream of who she COULD'VE been.

This was regarded as an AWFUL thing to do, by many Beethoven authorities - and by people who simply DOUBTED.

Yet, what went overlooked because of these critics' lack of open-mindedness - was an exquisite blend of glorious music, and SUPREME acting.

Once again, Mr. Oldman gave a performance like no other actor in the world can quite match. His style, sensitivity, and

genius as the Tragic Beethoven, was magnificent.

Jeroen Krabbe's portrayal of Anton Schindler, Beethoven's friend and champion - was marvelous.

Johanna ter Steege - who portrayed Johanna, Beethoven's sister- in-law - was exquisite. Why did they ignore HER? It would've been nice to have her stay here, rather than return to her Dutch homeland - to become a major motion picture star, as well. She had one special attribute - she could ACT.

The sets, costuming, sound, and editing were all BEAUTIFUL. But the film was ignored.

Above all, however, Gary Oldman's performance ranked among the best in the world - but it, too, was ignored.

Give the film another chance. It deserves FAR more than it GOT. It was, simply, beautiful...

Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the greatest composers-- some would say THE greatest-- in the history of the world. But what of the man himself? His passions, his loves? The humanness behind the genius? `Immortal Beloved,' written and directed by Bernard Rose, examines the man behind the music in a dramatization focusing on the mystery behind a letter-- written by Beethoven-- found among his effects after his death in 1827. The letter bears no name or address, but was written to a woman to whom he refers as his `immortal beloved,' with nary a clue as to her identity. But in his final will, it is she to whom he bequeaths his estate, and it therefore falls to Beethoven's secretary, Anton Schindler (Jeroen Krabbe), to unravel the mystery and discover her identity. And as Schindler pursues his quest, a portrait of Beethoven, in his most human aspect, emerges. Reminiscent of the approach taken by Orson Welles with `Citizen Kane,' Rose presents a riveting study of the enigmatic genius that was Beethoven. He suggests a man driven by passion and ego, who was under appreciated during his lifetime (as great artists often are), and who grew bitter in the wake of the slings and arrows fate so surreptitiously hurled at him. The great irony of his life, of course, was the deafness that deprived him of the aural beauty of his own creation, an affliction Rose implies was brought about through the brutality of a drunken father who would beat his son about the head and ears (And in retrospect, what a testimony to his genius, that he could write such music in his head without ever hearing an actual note). As Beethoven, Gary Oldman gives an outstanding performance, one for which he should have received acclaim that somehow was never forthcoming. His ability to create a total character, with such incredible emotional depth as he does here, is astounding. It's puzzling as to why so many of his performances are overlooked, especially at Oscar time. Besides this film, consider his work in `Sid and Nancy,' or more recently in `The Contender.' He is simply a tremendous actor who has yet to have his day in the sun. As Beethoven, he so completely immerses himself in the character that his soul is veritably reflected in his eyes. You feel the silent world in which he was confined for most of his life, and it allows you to identify with the inner turmoil with which he had to cope and endure without respite. Most importantly, Oldman makes you feel that unabashed passion that motivated and drove Beethoven on. It's quite simply a remarkable performance. Turning in notable performances as well are Isabella Rossellini, as Anna Marie Erdody, one of the women in Beethoven's life who may or may not have been the one to whom the letter was intended, and Johanna ter Steege, as Johanna, Beethoven's sister-in-law and the mother of his beloved nephew, Karl (Marco Hofschneider). The supporting cast includes Miriam Margolyes (Nanette), Barry Humphries (Clemens), Valeria Golino (Giulietta), Gerard Horan (Nikolaus), Christopher Fulford (Casper), Alexandra Pigg (Therese) and Luigi Diberti (Franz). Beethoven's renown today, of course, exceeds even mythological proportions, which often facilitates the blending of fiction with fact. But with `Immortal Beloved,' whether or not the finer points are historically accurate or not is of little consequence, for at it's heart this is a love story that is engrossing drama that is altogether transporting. It's a memorable film, highlighted by Oldman's performance and, of course, the music. And there are a number of scenes, as well, that are unforgettable and demand mention. One depicting the debut performance of the `Ode to Joy,' and another in which the young Beethoven (played by Leo Faulkner) runs at night through the streets of the city to escape his drunken father (Fintan McKeown), coming at last to a lake, into which he wades to float on his back; and with the camera positioned directly above, looking down upon him, a billion stars are reflected in the water around him. Then slowly the camera pulls back until the young Ludwig blends with the reflected stars to seemingly take his place among all the brightest lights of the firmament. It's a scene that will leave you breathless and remain etched in your memory forever. And it's but one of the more astounding moments from an astounding motion picture that absolutely must not be missed. I rate this one 10/10.

Not quite as dramatic as AMADEUS, to which there are obvious comparisons, it is a powerful film in its own right.

Taking the mysterious letter which Beethoven wrote to his "Immortal beloved" as the starting point, we follow his secretary's attempt to identify the person to whom the letter is addressed. No one knows, to this day, who that person really is, but the film offers an interesting theory.

The letter, however, is just a device to tell the story of the wild genius who personifies the Romantic movement in art. The letter serves much the same purpose as does Rosebud in CITIZEN KANE -- a method of stringing together a series of flashbacks that reveal the personality of the central figure.

The acting is wonderful and the music is powerful.

After the death of Ludwig van Beethoven (Gary Oldman) in 1827, Schindler (Jeroen Krabbé) is tasked with dealing with his last will and testament. He leaves his estate to his "immortal beloved". Schindler sets off to find whoever this immortal beloved may be. He interviews Beethoven's love Giulietta Guicciardi (Valeria Golino), Anna-Marie Erdödy (Isabella Rossellini) as well as others. Johanna Reiss (Johanna ter Steege) is also his lover but she marries his brother Kaspar instead. She has Karl van Beethoven assumed to be Ludwig's son.

Oldman is terrific in this luscious costume drama. Beethoven is portrayed as an arrogant bastard which Oldman plays beautifully. However, the plot lacks a certain tension. It depends on how interested one is about finding the identity of this immortal beloved. It doesn't really interest me. There is no denying the ability of Oldman and the beauty in the movie. This doesn't have the clarity of a straight forward biopic or the energy of an exciting plot.

This is one of my all-time favorite movies! I thought the music was well done, and I don't understand the criticisms I've read in this forum at all. The central idea of the movie is just one man's theory of who the "immortal beloved" was. No one knows who it actually was, and most theories I've read disagree with the film. No matter! I thought the premise was interesting, whether or not is was true. What was factual is that Beethoven WAS grouchy (wouldn't you be if you couldn't hear but music was your passion, your life??), and that he had digestive problems. Also factual was that he won custody of his nephew, Karl, and that his relationship with his brother's wife was antagonistic. The other people (countess Erdody, Schindler, etc) were factual people...of course any script written would have to put words in their mouths...big deal. I guess some people just are passionate about what their idea of the truth is (even though NO ONE KNOWS in this case) that they are blinded to the rest. The director is a Beethoven fanatic, and I found this movie to be a loving portrayal. Gary Oldman was absolutely fantastic! He learned to play the piano (spent months doing it) in order to be authentic. Thumbs WAY up on this one.

How can a man be that misread. Nobody understands him, nobody sees how he feels. His heart's broken. He even can't hear his own music.

I felt sorry for Ludwig and admire him. That movie makes you cry.

Must see it.

IMMORTAL BELOVED

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / SDDS-8

Following Beethoven's death, his closest friend (Jeroen Krabbé) goes in search of the composer's sole heir, an unnamed woman described as his 'immortal beloved' in a letter which betrays their secret love affair.

Comparisons with AMADEUS (1984) are inevitable, but Bernard Rose's sumptuous biopic is in a veritable league of its own. The director's episodic screenplay relays events in flashback, as Beethoven - played with multilayered conviction by Gary Oldman - is inspired to new heights of artistic endeavor by the three women who dominate his life (Isabella Rosselini, Valeria Golino and Johanna ter Steege), and rendered increasingly bitter by encroaching deafness. Just as tellingly, Rose's handsome film details Beethoven's stormy relationship with a favored nephew (Marco Hofschneider), who was driven to extreme rebellion by the composer's overreaching ambitions. The music is arranged with exquisite grace by Georg Solti, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra: Standout episodes include the moment when Beethoven first plays the 'Moonlight Sonata', and the breathtaking 'Ode to Joy' sequence, framed against an unhappy memory from Beethoven's youth, which culminates in a moment of supreme cinematic glory, one of the most beautiful images this reviewer has ever seen. Vivid production design by Jirí Hlupý, expansive scope photography by Peter Suschitzky; filmed on location in Prague.

I can't believe I missed this gem at the movies, Oldman is just brilliant, his sheer charisma and presence in some scenes take the attention immediately and unfairly from others without him uttering a word first. The only fault I could find with this beautifully directed movie, was not enough of Beethovens music, the only time we really get to hear it fully is the wonderful scene at the end with his ninth symphony. The scene as well of a young Beethoven fleeing from his drunken father, and then floating in the pool of stars as the choral part of the symphony erupts, bought me to tears and will remain with me forever. The movie is incredible and the Academy awards should collectively hang their heads in shame for being so dull not to see this movie as worthy of even being nominated due to its silly rules, or for never recognising Oldman then or since for the wonderful and great English actor that he truly is.

The representation of Beethoven himself is as good as it gets. Gary Oldman is superb as always. Other notable performances end with Isabella Rossellini. As for the story itself, it's pure fiction fabricated on the premise of existence of a mysterious letter to a "immortal beloved". Those looking for an accurate biographical movie will be left with disappointment. As for how good the fiction is, well, it's not great... In conclusion, I gave it 7 stars for portrayal of Beethoven as he might have been.

Talk about an overblown character and story! Man, if someone would ONLY write a literate, PG-rated script about the life of one of the most amazing composers of all time.....I'd love to see it.

Instead, the film world has to give us a profane, screaming, constantly ranting and raving character (the title one, played by wild man Gary Oldman). Plus, they have to add in some nude women and sex scenes. With the latter, children can't see and learn about the amazing Beethoven. (Since the '80s, most kids still think Beethoven is a big dog.)

I was hoping for a lot better than was delivered in here. Who would watch this abrasively- loud and obnoxious character more than once, anyway? Less shouting and more of the great music would have been appreciated.

If was a director, I would be sure to look at such films as "Kafka", "Quiz Show", and "Immortal Beloved"(and many many others) and hope that my film would have as much style and taste as these films, particularly "Immortal Beloved." From the first time I saw it, "Immortal Beloved" became one of my all-time favorite movies. For one thing, I love the cast. Director Bernard Rose has filled his movie with such top-notch European actors as Johanna Ter Steege, Valeria Golino, Marco Hofschnieder, Miriam Margoyles, Isabella Rossellini, and particularly in the choosing of his two leads--Jeroen Krabbe(my favorite actor) and Gary Oldman. I have seen and enjoyed all of these actors in one or more other project, and to have them ALL together is just wonderful. Plus the director genius, Bernard Rose, also wrote a great script:the flashback sequences give us a great look upon Beethoven, and they very carefully fit around the search that Beethoven's secretary embarks upon to find the mysterious woman, the "Immortal Beloved", whom Beethoven left his entire estate and music to in a letter. I like how he narrows he is able to narrow his search to just three women, after finding a nearly illegible signature the woman left behind at a hotel("is that a G or a J?" Schindler wonders. "Looks like an A to me," he is told by the hotel worker). I like being able to learn the impact Beethoven left upon all three, and the accounts of Schindler and his nephew provide some great insite as well. I love the chemistry between all cast members, particularly Oldman and Krabbe and Krabbe and Rossellinni. Well, I loved absolutely everything about this movie. I can only hope that if I ever made a movie, it would turn out to be as well-written, superbly acted, and as beautifully made as "Immortal Beloved."

I know that Immortal Beloved has been compared to Amadeus, and here I am going to keep my comparison brief, personally I don't think Immortal Beloved is quite as good as Amadeus, but I love both films with a passion. Ludwig Van Beethoven is my all time favourite classical music composer, and having watched Eroica with Ian Hart and the 3-part BBC dramatisation of Beethoven with Paul Rhys, I wanted to see what this film was like. My conclusion is that Immortal Beloved is a visually audacious, musically majestic and imaginative near-masterpiece.

Immortal Beloved certainly looks stunning. The scenery is gorgeous, the costumes sumptuous and the cinematography fluid and beautiful. Seriously when you are transported to 18th century Vienna you feel like you have just come out of a time machine. There are also many effective scenes such as young Ludwig running away from his abusive father, Johanna visiting Beethoven as he lies dying in bed (one of the few times when a piece of classical music-the String Quartet Op.130 here- reduced me to tears in just one scene of one film), Beethoven resting his ear while playing the Moonlight Sonata, Beethoven with his back to the audience during the performance of the Choral Symphony and the performance of the Emperor concerto(I did read somewhere that during a concert when the orchestra wouldn't play the piece right, Beethoven stopped it and ordered for it to be played again). Even the use of Missa Solemnis was beautifully done, so hauntingly beautiful.

The music is a revelation, pretty much the heart and soul of the film. It is a true delight from start to finish, I loved hearing the Moonlight and Pathetique sonatas, the Choral Symphony(the Ode to Joy movement has always been my favourite work of his), the Emperor Concerto,the violin concerto, Missa Solemnis and the 2nd movement of the 7th symphony as it was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Georg Solti.

Bernard Rose is an unusual choice for director, having directed the gruesome horror film Caddyshack, but he does respectably as he seeks to identify the "immortal beloved" of Beethoven's will(to this day we don't know who Beethoven is referring to). The scripting is intelligent and moving, one might say it doesn't say much, but it has heart, and the story is solid, deep and doesn't meander.

The acting is uniformly excellent. Jeroen Krabbe is fine as Anton Schindler, and Isabella Rosselini, Johanna ter Steege and Valeria Golino look beautiful and act very convincingly as the suspects of Beethoven's affections. I have to say though Gary Oldman does give the best performance of the film, while some scenes could have done with a touch more moderato it was a superb, charismatic and moving performance. I have read complaints that Oldman overacted, complaints I don't agree with at all. Just because Beethoven shouts a lot here, doesn't mean Oldman was overacting, and he certainly didn't overact in the final scene between him and Johanna, his acting was a masterclass of sheer poignancy there. Beethoven wasn't exactly a knight in shining armour now was he? He was rude, aggressive and reacted vehemently to even the smallest thing and probably traumatised by the memories of being abused by his alcoholic father. Beethoven also encountered alcoholism and increasing deafness, and by 1812 or so he was deaf completely.

Overall, this is a wonderful, underrated film. Only problem with it? I did feel the ending was a little too open-and-shut, but maybe it is just me. I cannot deny though that this is a great film. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

Beethoven (Oldman) dies leaving a love letter to a mysterious 'Immortal Beloved'. His friend and secretary (Krabbe) sets out to determine who this letter is for.

Rather moving tale headed by a strong performance by Oldman who possibly better than anyone can do the dramatic shifts of emotion which are needed here. For a character of great talent but pretty much void of any charm or empathy, we do surprisingly stick with him until the dramatic reveal.

The rest of the cast are fine, particularly Rossellini and the music, delivered by Georg Solti no less, makes you appreciate it even more. I did feel the drama lost it's way a little in the scenes where Beethoven devotes his life to managing his nephew, Karl's talent, but otherwise a rewarding and ultimately quite moving tale of lost love.

I loved this in the theatre and recently purchased it on video.

Gary Oldman portrays Beethoven with all the warts, near-madness, rage and passion intact. Unlovable almost, except for the sympathy and compassion engendered by his deafness which humanizes him.

The music is wonderful here and tries to explain the emotions behind the man.

The McGuffin of the plot hinges on a letter that was never received by his "immortal beloved". I may have missed something along the way, but how did the narrator of the story get the letter ? That point aside, this is a well done story and captures the era perfectly. I

believe Prague was used for the setting and it is beautiful. This movie could be a matched set to "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" another film which captures his turbulence and frustration and the triumph of his composition of his 9th.

An 8 out of 10 for a very enjoyable movie.

Ten years after the success of "Amadeus"; Hollywood decided to offer us a biopic of this giant of 19th century music who helped set up Vienna as the Mecca of classical music at the time. A truly multi-talented Gary Oldman is on good form as Bernard Rose guides us through the life, and fairly frequent loves, of this genius. His flaws are writ large from the beginning; his, at times, quite brutal upbringing and his womanising certainly didn't make him the nicest of men; and as his deafness takes over his character becomes more irascible and unpredictable. The story is presented as a retrospective, starting at his funeral, and is largely described through the perspective of his friend Anton Schindler (a considered effort from Jeroen Krabbé) and we see how his nature could vacillate from kindly, cruel, passionate and loving to selfish and vile. There are strong supporting contributions from Isabella Rossellini and Johanna Reiss that help keep this film focused and engaging. There are also ample opportunities to hear some of his music played, quite possibly, in a venue he would have himself attended. The attention to detail is superb: costumes, sets and locations all looking excellent. The dialogue is sparing, but it's what they all do with it - especially Gary Oldman - that helps make this film stand out. Two hours just flew by, and if you are fan of the music and interested in the man - then this is a good watch.

This is the most creatively written historical fiction I've seen since Amadeus. Writer/director Bernard Rose did a fantastic job of piecing together scraps of history and filling in the blanks with an outrageously clever theory. Make no mistake; this is NOT a biopic. So don't think you can cram for tomorrow's Beethoven exam by watching this movie... your teacher will flunk you right out of the conservatory.

But if you approach this film as a sort of "conspiracy theory", and if you have a reasonable--but not too precise--familiarity with the facts of Beethoven's life, you will be very entertained, shocked and intrigued at the story.

Real quick historical synopsis: In papers found posthumously, Beethoven did indeed mention an "immortal beloved", much to the surprise of the world which thought him to be a solitary soul. The identity of this person has vexed historians for centuries, and speculation has been the cause of many a knock-down, drag-out fight amongst them (those historians can be pret-ty feisty). Here we have a possible explanation which pulls together several interesting episodes from Beethoven's life and weaves them into a believable plot. The historians can duke it out whilst we can enjoy the show.

Gary Oldman, as always, delivers a fantastic performance which elevates this film to classic status. Sure, there are flaws in this film, but nothing that cannot be overlooked in light of the acting and of course the music. My only gripe is that the film focuses very heavily on plot (and rightly so, I guess), but in so doing, it sacrifices the poetry of the situation. We rarely get a good, quiet, reflective moment where we can look into the tortured soul of the composer. Instead we get plenty of fiery episodes and situational drama, which is good but can leave us exhausted after a while.

Contrast this with the film Amadeus which breaks up the action with carefully crafted monologues and time to breathe & reflect. "Immortal Beloved" can seem like a fast paced action flick compared to that--but again I suppose the complex plot demands it. This is really a minor criticism. Although Amadeus needn't worry about losing its place in my list of best movies ever, Immortal Beloved is certainly worthy of playing in the same league.

I wrestled with the rating because there is much to dislike about Immortal Beloved. However there is also much to like, among which are Beethoven's music, the plot twist which I felt worked well, and set design. The highs are very high. Oldham may not have nailed the great composer but he is a reasonable representation and the director's method of presenting his affliction is poignant.

To the negative the film is a bit clunky, continuity seems just a bit off, and some scenes could have been omitted or edited to speed things up. Beloved is not a character study as everyone is pretty much a caricature. It is a mystery and as such works pretty well even though the basic plot might have been written to the lives of less formidable personages without changing the real story. Beethoven's involvement provided additional depth and interest but no more sense of tragedy, and ham handed direction/editing watered down the impact even then.

That said, I'm glad I saw it and would recommend to anyone who doesn't mind considerable artistic license being taken with the life of Ludwig Van.

"-Music is... a dreadful thing. What is it? I don't understand it. What does it mean? - It - it exalts the soul. - Utter nonsense. If you hear a marching band, is your soul exalted? No, you march. If you hear a waltz, you dance. If you hear a mass, you take communion. It is the power of music to carry one directly into the mental state of the composer. The listener has no choice. It is like hypnotism. So, now... What was in my mind when I wrote this? Hmm? A man is trying to reach his lover. His carriage has broken down in the rain. The wheels stuck in the mud. She will only wait so long. This... is the sound of his agitation."

After 23 years of being released it still amazes me!! This beautiful underrated film, and still one of my top ten movies ever.. Each and every time I watch Immortal Beloved it astonishes me by its great soundtracks - Beethoven's most gorgeous music of course such as Kreutzer sonata, Pathétique sonata, Moonlight sonata, Ode to Joy in the Ninth Symphony and much more -, its lovely atmosphere, its smooth way of storytelling, its good choice of casting and the positives of this movie are endless.... No one in this movie claims that it is the real story of Beethoven, but anyway there was indeed a letter was written by Beethoven to his anonymous lover and so the movie is just giving us a possibility, no one is saying that it's a fact what we saw in the movie, but is it possible?! Is it possible that a letter never reached its destination caused this huge misunderstanding? Is it possible to love in such a strong way? Is it possible to bury your love for all those years but not being able to kill it deep inside of you? Well for a man like Beethoven who could write such an incredible music without hearing a single note of it, I would say everything is possible... In the end of the movie you can't do anything but to put yourself in Beethoven's shoes and see the things from his point of view - which is I am telling you so bloody hard and painful- but you have to do it and that will simply make you a better human being with more sympathy and more understanding toward others... I can't talk about Immortal Beloved without mentioning the greatest actor ever walked on Earth -I don't know about other planets- Gary Oldman the one and only actor who would let you meet Beethoven himself, Mr. Oldman is such an outstanding actor and all his performances are brilliant like Sid Vicious, George Smiley, Jackie Flannery, Shelly Runyon, Lee Harvey Oswald, Norman Stansfield, Drexl Spivey and Milton Glenn..... But him playing Beethoven will always be the performance that took and still takes my breath away!! He literally brought Beethoven from death to life with all his emotions, passion and fantasy. Gary Oldman allowed us all to feel Beethoven's agitation!!!

Soylent Green & Psycho did a better job of setting Beethoven's music to film than this, despite the fact that those films are about cannibals and a serial-killer. Perhaps I exaggerate but given that it had so much that going for it, the fact that this film is mediocre is a cinematic crime.

You have one of the most passionate and talented composers of all time, who goes deaf. His music is amongst the most moving pieces ever written. And his will contains a mysterious reference to his "Immortal Beloved". No Hollywood scriptwriter could not come up with a better story. There are fantastic visuals, great actors, great music and a plot line to hold it all together.

So where did it all go wrong?

I suspect that some compromises had to be made for the mass-market. In general the way Beethoven's music was used for the the score was badly done. Hearing snippets of his piano-concertos used as background seemed a little unfortunate. The emotional impact of the pieces is lost if the attention of the viewer is focused elsewhere. There are exceptions to this, the scene floating in the water for example. But there is so much more to Beethoven than symphonies 5 & 9. To people unfamiliar with his music, the film will provide an introduction of sorts and the music will still provide some impact. But to genuine fans of Beethoven's music, this may leave you unsatisfied.