Un grand Amour de Beethoven (1936)- film by Abel Gance

[Preston]

YouTube has parts of the film, Un grand Amour de Beethoven. I found it just the other day. I had been wanting to see this movie for a while, and, finally found it!

Thought it should be brought to you all's attention.


Wedding Scene- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcESLo65VKM
Writing the Pastoral- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfQZIdJzOOw
Deaf- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGF6LRFb27U

These are three scenes from the movie. I thought they were quite well done. They really show Beethoven's anguish in life.

Also, if you watch, is the wedding scene based on a factual account?

[Peter]

So far I watched the wedding scene which was good for a laugh! No Preston that is fictional, however it reminded me of a very fine organist friend of mine (sadly no longer with us) who liked to imbibe a little more than was good for him and on one occasion he was playing 'here comes the bride' - unfortunately she was in a coffin!

Looking forward to the other scenes later!

[Bonn1827]

Oh, that British sense of humour Peter!! Abel Gance is now considered a great film maker and I'd love to watch those scenes - well, the whole film. Unfortunately I cannot use UTube or such like because it would be too costly on my prepaid wireless broadband. We are so behind the times here in Aussie.

[Preston]

So far I watched the wedding scene which was good for a laugh! No Preston that is fictional, however it reminded me of a very fine organist friend of mine (sadly no longer with us) who liked to imbibe a little more than was good for him and on one occasion he was playing 'here comes the bride' - unfortunately she was in a coffin!

Looking forward to the other scenes later!

The other two scenes are far less humorous than the wedding scene. Now that you mention, it is somewhat of a laugh- All the congregation of the wedding and the participants, and then right when the bride enters Beethoven starts slamming out the incidental music to Leonore Prohaska (and one of his piano sonatas I believe, not sure which one?)!

Perhaps Abel Gance was trying to show what he thought Beethoven may have felt about a certain wedding?

The other scenes are not accurate either. Such as, writing the Pastoral Symphony at the same time he wrote The Heiligenstadt Testament, and, his brother Johann and Therese coming up to the window of his cottage while he was playing the 4th movement from the symphony.

I may be wrong, but I do feel that the other two scenes are not as comic as the wedding scene?

[Preston]

Looking forward to the other scenes later!

Peter, how did you like them?

[Peter]

Peter, how did you like them?

Hmm not a lot to be frank - rather fanciful and of course not factual at all. Nice to see it though Preston so thanks for the link as I wouldn't have found it or even looked for it probably!

[Bonn1827]

What did you all think of Gary Oldman's Beethoven?

[Bonn1827]

Of course, I meant Gary Oldman's "Immortal Beloved"!!!

[Preston]

What did you all think of Gary Oldman's Beethoven?

I think that Gary Oldman could have made a great Beethoven had the Immortal Beloved script, scenes, story, etc. been better and more accurate.

Although, out of all the movies I have seen about Beethoven, Gary Oldman's performance of Beethoven is still the one I like most.

Each movie is a new interpretation of Beethoven. I wish someone would get Beethoven right, which would probably be almost impossible.

[Preston]

Personally, I like Abel Gance's interpretation. It does show a man, who looks similar to the life-mask, and it shows some of the suffering that Beethoven endured in his life. In the Gance film, I like how Gance really tries to focus on how bad having tinnitus and going deaf is- which is what made Beethoven come close to suicide.

So, if a man is on the brink of suicide because of inner suffering, than you know it must be terrible suffering- very painful. I like how Gance tries to make a very serious statement about this. To me, it is unlike many movies I have seen about Beethoven. Yes, most of the movies focus some on Beethoven's suffering, but Gance really digs deep and comes out with some very serious material.

[Peter]

Personally, I like Abel Gance's interpretation. It does show a man, who looks similar to the life-mask, and it shows some of the suffering that Beethoven endured in his life. In the Gance film, I like how Gance really tries to focus on how bad having tinnitus and going deaf is- which is what made Beethoven come close to suicide.

So, if a man is on the brink of suicide because of inner suffering, than you know it must be terrible suffering- very painful. I like how Gance tries to make a very serious statement about this. To me, it is unlike many movies I have seen about Beethoven. Yes, most of the movies focus some on Beethoven's suffering, but Gance really digs deep and comes out with some very serious material.

I think the film was very much of its time and panders to the 19th century conception of the tormented genius. Yes he captured the suffering Beethoven but that isn't the whole story - I think after the Heiligenstadt crisis he came to terms with his deafness and this remember was when he was a young man, not the old one portrayed in the film. The scenes were too melodramatic and rather ponderous so I'm afraid we still await a good film that portrays Beethoven in a plausible account.

[Peter]

What did you all think of Gary Oldman's Beethoven?

I thought it preposterous and a huge disappointment!

[Michael]

I thought it (Gary Oldman's Beethoven) preposterous and a huge disappointment!

I take it you are referring to the film, Peter? Oldman's performance was quite good but the film could have been so much better. The silly plot pay-off ruined it. (I still bought the DVD though. )

[Peter]

I take it you are referring to the film, Peter? Oldman's performance was quite good but the film could have been so much better. The silly plot pay-off ruined it. (I still bought the DVD though. )

Yes Oldman was ok, the plot was dire!

[Bonn1827]

But is there ever going to be a definitive film about Beethoven (apart from documentary)? It is a bit like depicting God - well, he's a god to me. We can only be thankful that the Monty Python team never got a hold of his story and turned it into something like "The Life of Ludwig". Then we'd all be REALLY OFFENDED!!!