Summary
The composer Ludwig van Beethoven is passionately in love with Juliette Guicciardi, but
his love in not requited. She chooses to marry Count Gallenberg, news which, along
with his encroaching deafness, propels Beethoven into state of depression. The composer
retreats to an old windmill in Heiligenstadt where he remains alone for a while.
Returning to Vienna, Beethoven discovers new love in his beloved Juliette’s cousin, Thérèse
de Brunswick...
Review
Un grand amour de Beethoven is one of the few sound films made by Abel Gance which
has that quality of greatness that marks his earlier silent masterpieces (most notably
his epic Napoléon
). This film is a beautiful and appropriately melancholic account of the life
of one of the world’s greatest composers, Ludwig van Beethoven.
The part of Beethoven
is played with great force and sensitivity by Harry Baur, a great actor renowned for his
towering theatrical performances. The film combines images and sound with a rare
artistic brilliance, making this one of the most memorable film biographies of the Twentieth
Century.
© James Travers 2001
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