Farinelli
by G?rard Corbiau
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Caroline Cellier, Elsa Zylberstein, Enrico Lo Verso, Jeroen Krabb?, Stefano DionisiDirector: G?rard Corbiau
Brand: DIONISI,STEFANO
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0; Italian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Pan & Scan, 1.33:1
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-08-22
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Movie Reviews of Farinelli
Movie Review: Helpful suggestion to new viewers
Summary: 5 Stars
This film left me cold when I first saw it; I almost think I was watching a different film. But recently I've revisited it and its excerpts on YouTube, and I have been completely captivated by the story and music. And although this "biography" is reportedly more fiction than fact, it is still too lush, fascinating, tragic, and beautiful to be overlooked. (Music of the Baroque Era is my favorite genre, Handel my favorite composer; I'm certainly biased in favor of both.)
Here's my suggestion: If you watch this movie, be sure to find the lyrics at least to "Lascia ch'io pianga" and to follow them during that sequence. Better yet, stock up with all the lyrics; they're easy to find on the Web. Just search for the arias' titles.
Here's why: For viewers like me who speak only one language, the subtitles on the DVD of this film don't include the lyrics to the music. Without the lyrics, you can't fully appreciate the richness of the story: the relationship between the brothers Carlo (the younger, stage name Farinelli) and Riccardo Broschi (the older); the tormented position of the castrato in society (loved, lauded, exploited, denied, and reviled); and of the era itself.
These conflicts are particularly revealed in the "Lascia ch'io pianga" sequence. In that aria, the imprisoned hero of the opera (sung by Farinelli) mourns the loss of his freedom, while the intertwined flashbacks reveal how he really became a castrato. Carlo/Farinelli has always been told his castration was the result of a tragic accident. We learn in the preceding sequence and we see in the flashbacks that Farinelli's (Carlo's) own brother had him castrated while the child Carlo was drugged, to ensure that Carlo's splendid voice would endure to grace Riccardo's own music -- music unworthy of the sacrifice. But the betrayal that stole Carlo's freedom to choose his fate preserved his art. How can Carlo reconcile himself to such betrayal and loss -- and yet gain?
Summary of Farinelli
Tells the story of Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli, one of the most famous castrati of the 18th century.Genre: Foreign Film - Italian
Rating: R
Release Date: 22-AUG-2000
Media Type: DVD
This interesting Belgian film from 1994 has a surface subject that might make a few guys wince: an 18th-century castrato, or castrated male opera singer. A superstar in Europe, Farinelli the vocalist--despite compromised equipment--gets his share of groupies and is showered with attention and gifts from rich patrons. Meanwhile, his brother--a so-so composer whose career and fortunes are inextricably linked to his sibling, as per their father's wishes--feels like a sham for enjoying the fruits of another's success. For director G?rard Corbiau, the real story is that of the forced bond between the two men, and their unspoken awareness that their separate destinies have been slowed by the arrangement. Corbiau gives us the best of two worlds: a costume drama with an unusual, even exotic, story line, and a tender, universal tale of real love. The opera sequences are a kick: the breathless crowds, Farinelli's hammy control over the drama, and his stunning castrato voice (manufactured by Corbiau via synthesized merger of male and female voices) and all make for great fun. --Tom Keogh
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