Just perfect...

How sad is this?

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This film could have been great, based on its rather accurate facts and atmosphere, but at a second and deeper look it seems a hidden failure to me. Let me try to explain that, as I flatter myself to be knowing Beethoven's oeuvre rather well. First, from a musical and historical point of view, besides the smaller, yet passable inaccuracies or doubtful things (the orchestra was smaller, Lobkowitz may have had more guests attending to the new symphony, Haydn may not have been that 'intellectually' expressing himself and not even present, etc), the main flaw is that a new composition very rarely makes its full impact already at its premiere. The various reactions of the audience look oddly exaggerated, even though people attending concerts in that era and especially in Vienna have been reacting spontaneously at the details of music. Then, of course no orchestra on Earth could have played so fine (Gardiner is one of the greatest conductors of our time) that huge, complex and ground-breaking masterpiece at first sight, and thus the struggle between Beethoven's expectations and the musicians' possibilities would have brought in a more accurate and dramatic element to the movie.Secondly, from a cinematic point of view, if you weren't a Beethoven buff, it's hard to bear a film centered around the performance of a single work which lasts 45-50 min. I doubt whether that premiere really generated immediately the feel of one of the greatest turning points in music history (which of course the Heroic Symphony was). Much more dramatic and with a great potential for evolving would have been the genesis of the work in Beethoven's mind during his extremely busy years of 1801-1803 (growing deafness, the hints at suicide in the 'Heiligenstadt testament', the failed relationship with Julie Guicciardi, the acquaintance with Bernadotte, the growing infatuation with Josephine, the many compositions etc). In its present state, the film is static, the characters are not evolving, and Ian Hart's performance is almost one-sided (and he looks strangely unfamiliar with that long hair, while Beethoven had a shorter hairstyle in his younger years). On the plus side is the presence of Beethoven's 'immortal beloved' Josephine, but why did they pile up so many emotional events during that concert (even twisting their time line)? That's lame, unreal and melodramatic. And sadly, despite all these, in a way this may be the best Beethoven movie so far, because it's the most accurate and tightly knit. But strangely, as I have said before, it almost missed its point.

"Everything's different as of today" said a weary Josef Haydn, and how right he was."Eroica" is the best film about Beethoven that I have seen. OK, I've only seen three others, one of which was made in the 70s and I can't remember the name of that one. The other two were "Immortal Beloved" which was good, and "Copying Beethoven" which was horrendous. What attracted me to this movie was the clever direction and how it was made watchable despite the entire work being played throughout. When I say "despite", don't get me wrong, I'm a composer and I loved the music, but to be able to base an entire film around the complete performance (OK then, a rehearsal) of a particularly long work whilst simultaneously retaining visual and cinematic interest is a tricky task, and the director rose to the challenge magnificently. Ian Hart was convincing (unlike Ed Harris's comically over-acted portrayal, although his makeup was very good) and one of a very professional cast indeed. Isn't Fenella Woolgar gorgeous? Such a sexy nose! And so to the music. What was interesting was the fact that although Elliot Gardiner's soundtrack was obviously not that of which we see, it WAS played on period instruments. The biggest clue being when hearing the valveless horns playing the few notes that were not to be found within the harmonic series (on an Eb crook) sounding a bit flatulent. It also helps to know that John Elliot Gardiner is really hot on period instruments. I personally prefer modern orchestral instruments, but nothing can be taken away from the superb performance by this ensemble. Also the synchronisation must have been extremely tricky because all the musicians in shot were actually playing the music together, whilst acting simultaneously (they would have had to, to gurn their faces like they did as if the music was something completely new, which it so obviously was).But what really made the movie work was the silent reaction to the music of the surrounding gentry and servants. It really helped to bring tears to my eyes.A fabulous two hours of my time spent. Heartily recommended!!!

A perfect marriage of music and visuals that is simply superb in every way. My compliments to the well orchestrated direction and precise editing that enabled the music to flow through the emotions of the characters. The performances were well underplayed by minimal dialogue and the perfect facial reactions allowed the viewer to gain an insight into each character's individual feelings to the musical piece. All this aided by the very clever and tight structural screenplay. To top it all of, the photography and free flowing camera movements perfectly captured the raw emotions of this unique musical piece by Master Beethoven. All this in a lavish setting, reminiscent of Kubrick's Barry Lyndon. BRAVO!

Many wonderful things mount up; Ian Hart gives a brilliant Beethoven, better even than Gary Oldman's in Immortal Beloved (although Tom Hulce's Mozart conducts more convincingly in Amadeus!). Fenella Woolgar gives a mature performance as the sympathetic Princess Lobkovitz in the same week as a brilliant big screen presence in Stephen Fry's Bright Young Things. The best scene of the film is the confrontation between Hart's Beethoven and his love Therese Lobowitz (the extraordinary Claire Skinner). She explains she cannot give up the security of a social title by giving herself over to his love; we hear the music drifting in from the upstairs hall, as if his own reaction of pain at this rejection sounding from his own misunderstood head.Notwithstanding Jack Davenport's excreable acting, this is where this film fails. The characters, from amused aristocrat, through knowing musician, to the Other Half slaving downstairs are required to put the power of the music into words. It cannot be done; in this context it undermines the integrity of the character and saps the power of the music by chaining it to a metaphor it already is. 'A Haydn would be finished by now!' is good - 'He's re-written the symphony as we know it' by the same footman is not.So many good ideas to give this essay flight extinguished by the need to explain an art that is it's own great and sole mouthpiece. 3/10