Other Views

Here’s what other critics say about “Immortal Beloved:”

Steven Rea/Philadelphia Inquirer: There is, however, one achingly beautiful cinematic passage that, while it doesn’t redeem all the other hammy nonsense, does bring a glimpse of pure poetry to the film. It is the image of the boy Beethoven, having fled his abusive father, floating on a lake illuminated with the reflection of a million stars, as the “Ode to Joy” finale of the “Ninth Symphony” roils around. All the silly sleuthing, all Oldman’s niggling imitations, pale by comparison to this one majestic moment.

Michael Wilmington/Chicago Tribune: Yet, for all its obvious transgressions against history or taste, “Immortal Beloved,” like Gance’s “Grande Amour,” rises past silliness toward some of the high chill of the real man’s greatness and sorrow.

Janet Maslin/New York Times: If the accomplishments that inspire awe here are Beethoven’s rather than Rose’s, that’s not surprising. Nor is it accidental: this filmmaker is so well attuned to his subject that he deliberately subjugates his imagery to the film’s soundtrack.

But Rose contributes a passionate enthusiasm for the music and an eagerness to fathom the forces that brought about its creation. At its best, his film almost brings those forces to life.

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