boirin This was loosely based on the Henry Handel Richardson novel, 'Maurice Guest', which explored obsessive, destructive and unrequited love amid the backdrop of music students in Leipzig at the turn of the twentieth century. This film adaptation took huge liberties with the plot, played down or eliminated most of the characters, sanitized the sexuality and ditched the bleak ending (though happily so). Enough has been said here about Elizabeth Taylor's breathtaking gorgeousness, the lushness of the classical music score and the brilliant instrumental simulations by Vittorio Gassman and John Ericson, but not enough about Charles Vidor's direction, which keeps the film on a thoroughly entertaining, albeit melodramatic, path. The best part IMO is the last fifteen minutes or so, which takes a wrenching turn and builds the tension with a spectacular rendition of Rachmaninoff's Concerto 2 (by far the best version I've ever seen on screen). Ericson's performance here is amazing and almost runs away with the film. Last but not least, that hopelessly gorgeous ending!

atlasmb Is it better to be the lover or to be loved? This is the central question of "Rhapsody", a film about a young woman, Louise Durant (Elizabeth Taylor), and the two musicians between whom she divides her attention. Paul Bronte (Vittorio Gassman) is a violinist and James Guest (John Ericson) is a pianist. Each falls for the charms of Louise, though they differ in the way they choose to divide their time between Louise and their fledgling music careers.The director of the film, Charles Vidor, may have overused filters in Ms. Taylor's closeups, but who am I to argue with the wonderful results? At age 22, she is the personification of radiant beauty in this film, and anyone can understand how these men might be distracted.The film is filled with enjoyable music, and it should be mentioned that Gassman and Ericson have to fake playing some extremely difficult passages, which they do very well. As an aside, check out Vittorio Gassman in "Sharkey's Machine" (1981) if you want to see him play a contrastingly villainous role.The film rolls along amicably until the finale, which is full of emotion and transcendence, making the film worthwhile. Louise unexpectedly finds understanding and is transported to a greater love. One of the musicians discovers within himself a strength he never knew he had. And the accompanying music is Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto--one of the most beautiful romantic pieces ever written.I would describe the ending as Randian, a reflection of Ayn Rand's views on romantic love. Many misunderstand her lifeview as cold and calculating, but nothing could be further from the truth. Just as she celebrated the heroic in men/women, she championed heroic love between two people. Rachmaninoff's Second is not just romantic, it is triumphant. As the orchestra swells over the insistent notes of the piano, the music emphasizes the adoring look on the face of Louise and it celebrates the pianist's new-found egoism (self love, based upon his self-accomplishment). It's a beautiful scene on many levels and it elevates the film significantly.

soccermanz This film should be compulsory viewing for all of those of either sex who want to be taken seriously by a talented artist whether a musician, stage, film or television actor, professional sports player and so on. Elizabeth Taylor is quite excellent as the rich, indulged young lady who still thinks that she can be the focal point of her chosen man's world in this case a self obsessed violinist who was still infinitely preferable to so many of her other male co-stars. And his fingering and bowing was quite superb - I only wish that I could have heard the sounds that he actually made and who actually made the beautiful music that forms the solid foundation of what was a thoroughly enjoyable film ? I agree that Louis Calhern as her father was superb - it is a pity that she listened to so little of what he said and in her case beauty was not even skin deep.

Neil Doyle RHAPSODY is a typically lush romantic opus from MGM, conceived as a stunning tribute to the 22 year-old ELIZABETH TAYLOR and surrounding her with some melodious classic music from the two men in her life--JOHN ERICSON and VITTORIO GASSMAN.All women should have such romantic woes--torn as she is, between two handsome men with matinée idol looks while she watches on the sidelines dressed in smart outfits by Helen Rose, with sophisticated looks at the camera and everyone else in the cast. She is as poised as a marble statue and just as cold and beautiful.The tale is as wildly improbable as anything Joan Crawford ever did in lush B&W surroundings at Warner Bros. (a la HUMORESQUE), and the story itself is hardly more than routine, presenting Taylor as a spoiled young woman who mistreats men who are too immersed in their careers to notice she's around.But on the plus side, there's that glorious music and some very convincing finger work by Ericson on the piano and Gassman on the violin. They really look as if they're playing their instruments, and both of them are up to the acting demands of their less than dynamic roles.Taylor was certainly one of the most photogenic women who ever stepped before a camera, but it's a pity that her talent (at this stage) is not a match for her fabulous wardrobe and glossy, tremulous close-ups that have her torn between two men without ever ruining her make-up with real tears.Absurd fun, if only for the music and the decent performances, but actually a very routine romantic angle that is a mere trifle against a splendid background of passionate classical pieces.