Turfseer Films about musicians or painters are usually problematic because the artist in question might have produced a great body of work but the events of their biography might not be inherently dramatic. Copying Beethoven is no exception. The scenarists here relied on the invention of a fictional character, Anna Holtz (Diane Kruger), who plays a young copyist to Beethoven in 1824, right before the great composer finished composing his famed 9th Symphony.Holtz lives with her aunt, a mother superior at a convent, but is also an unlikely student at a music academy (the idea that a woman living in Vienna in the early part of the 19th century would have been permitted to study at such an all-male institution is an anachronistic conceit indeed). Nonetheless, Holtz suddenly appears at Beethoven's apartment and immediately shows great promise copying Beethoven's notes from his almost illegible manuscripts.Ed Harris plays Beethoven as you might expect: a curmudgeon of sorts due to his encroaching deafness and general gruffness of personality. Some critics have faulted Harris for hamming things up a bit too much, especially in regards to Beethoven's irritability and overbearing demeanor. Nonetheless, it's not Harris' performance that really does the film in but rather a lack of a developed plot and certifiable antagonist.Early on Beethoven's nephew Carl is introduced; he turns out to be a ne'er-do-well, stealing money from his uncle despite Beethoven's incessant support. While Carl is based on a real person, he soon drops out of the action and is replaced by Beethoven's deafness as an internal antagonist/obstacle. Most of the critical acclaim for this film revolves around the scene of Beethoven conducting the first performance of the 9th Symphony, supported by Anna, hidden on stage silently providing the conductor's movements, as Beethoven is unable to hear anything. Director Agnieszka Holland lamely keeps cutting back and forth between Anna and Beethoven and the entire scene becomes heavily repetitious, despite the beauty of the soundtrack.Still searching for an antagonist, Holland finally settles on Anna's betrothed, Martin Bauer, an aspiring engineer, who enters a bridge-building competition. Beethoven, who senses Bauer is up to no good with Anna, destroys the model bridge right before the competition gets underway. Anna is first upset with Beethoven, but soon realizes he was right along about Bauer.Before the final scene with Beethoven on his deathbed, the grumpy genius makes fun of Anna's composing abilities, making farting sounds as he plays Anna's work on the piano. Eventually he shows up at the convent and begs her forgiveness—and ends up agreeing to collaborate with Anna, in order to improve the piece.Ultimately Holland and her scenarists' use of a fictional character to enhance the drama doesn't quite come off. As a primer on Beethoven's last years and his music, Copying Beethoven passes muster in a basic way. Just don't expect any real fireworks here.

clanciai This is all fiction and an experiment, but not bad at all as such. The direction of Agnieszka Holland is admirable as always, her films are always more than interesting, and her challenge here is more out of the ordinary than ever. Ed Harris has been generally lauded extensively for his virtuoso acting throughout, and he deserves all praise, but so does Diane Kruger as the copyist. The concept of the film is bold indeed, inventing an impossible female copyist for the completely deaf Beethoven, and most of the film, just like in "Immortal Beloved", is a complete fake, but it makes a good film and a good enough complement to "Immortal Beloved". That film was completely convincing in all its fantastic speculations, while this is not: it's just not possible that Beethoven could have had a female copyist. So the whole film is based on an impossible concept, but it's a film, not a documentary or biopic or in any way a true story (except for the Karl bit), and on the screen anything is allowed. Joe Anderson as Karl is another asset, just like Jean-Louis Barrault in Abel Gance's monstrous failure of a Beethoven film, and Oscar Werner in the only perfectly good Beethoven film - a very interesting character as the one true victim of the tragedy of Beethoven and as such a success in every Beethoven film. Unfortunately, the weak point of the film is Ed Harris, who has got Beethoven wrong, no matter how much he tries to make the best of it, almost desperately over-acting his effort to reach the truth, which he never does. It's great acting, but it's not Beethoven. As I said in my review of the Austrian Beethoven film "Eroica" of 1949 - Ed Harris in all his virtuoso acting is but a shadow to the definite Beethoven of Ewald Balser.Nevertheless, it's a great film and a very interesting thought experiment. The highlight is of course the actual first performance of the 9th, in which the film gets closest to the truth - that's about exactly how it was performed - but for the female assistant.

craigsut First of all,I am musician and have studied countless hours of form, harmony and structure. This film captures all of that from beginning to end.Of course this is a fictional film filled with many ideas but the 'story' is found behind the music. I think choosing a woman to copy his music is simply a superb move by the creators of this film. I strongly believe Beethoven although deaf had help from an Angel, an Immortal Beloved who reflected his thoughts and his feelings back to him through his music.Ed Harris is exceptional. At times I am sure the old Maestro had taken over Ed Harris's body. Very, very believable and the way he handle the 'musician' side of things was outstanding.As you can see, this film touched me. The message from Beethoven is brought to us after the performance of the ninth (during the film.) The bridge that is destroyed, how many times have we had our dreams destroyed only for us to bounce back more powerfully? How many times have we had our composition destroyed by critics only for us to learn to write from the heart more? The world doesn't need another Beethoven, it needs your music, your pictures, your words, you find it in the silence.This film cannot be watched with only your eyes but felt through your soul. If you love Beethoven music, if you have looked for answers to the questions in his music, this film is for you.

SixtusXLIV According to "Lucien Rebatet" in his "Histoire de la Musique" (Robert Lafont, BOUQUINS 1973 page 338) Beethoven's character was not very compatible with women. He had quite a number of "Platonic Passions" with female members of the "Vienese Aristocracy" to whom he dedicated some "sonatas". But Musicians , even composers did not qualify for Husbands of "Fine Ladies". Haydn was a "servant" of Prinz Von Esterhazy, Mozart died from drink or Poison and Bethoven was according to Rebatet a frequent customer of "street prostitutes" in Vienna. A British biographer, Newman says that Beethoven contracted syphilis, before he was 40. That he became deaf because of that, is possible, but not certain.The Ninth Symphony was premiered on May 7, 1824 in the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna, along with the Consecration of the House Overture and the first three parts of the Missa Solemnis. This was the composer's first on-stage appearance in twelve years; the hall was packed. Although the performance was directed by Michael Umlauf the theater's Kapellmeister, Beethoven shared the stage with him quiet.So what remains of this "Female Fantasy". Ed Harris interpretation and characterization are quite good, but too linear, based on the Painting by Ferninand Waldmüller date 1823. I have it in front of me. It shows a man that despises (perhaps hates) the World. With good reason.