Farinelli
|
Our Price: $115.75 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $52.74 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Farinelli
Movie Review: Fascinating World of Castrati Overshadowed by Brotherly Co-Dependency
Summary: 3 Stars
Something seems strangely amiss with what could have been a fascinating historical glimpse into the world of the castrati (castrated male opera singers) in 18th-century Europe. This 1994 Belgian film is an opulent production full of stunning costumes and set decorations, but director Gerard Corbiau is far more focused on the co-dependency between two real-life brothers, Carlo Broschi, the swoon-worthy castrato known to the world as Farinelli, and his marginally talented composer brother Riccardo. Although there are glimpses of the castration that occurred when Carlo was ten, the narrative deals very little with the psychological anguish of this act, instead showing extravagantly vainglorious scenes of Farinelli's impact on audiences at the time. It's as if the story structure of the Baroque operas written at that time took over the sensibility of the screenplay and trivialized the human complexities into exaggerated melodrama.
Despite a valiant effort by Stefano Dionisi in the title role, Farinelli is portrayed as a moody, self-centered egotist rather than a misunderstood artist. Compounding the problem is the fact that his masculine speaking voice is at odds with his ethereal singing voice (obviously a creative decision so as not to alienate the general audience from the character's plight). Moreover, the computerized melding of countertenor Derek Lee Ragin and soprano Ewa Mallas Godlewska into Farinelli's voice simply does not sync up well with Dionisi's lip and throat movements. In other words, you simply don't believe it's Dionisi's voice coming out of him. When the film finally takes flight in the last third of the film, it's because the focus has shifted to the competitive, intense relationship between Farinelli and the great composer of the age, Handel. Jeroen Krabbe - familiar to American audiences for his nasty turn as Barbra Streisand's condescending husband in "The Prince of Tides" - plays Handel with such passionate fury that I wish the film was more about his character. This sequence climaxes with the film's musical highlight, a trio of wonderful, truly classic arias from Handel's "Rinaldo" - "Lascia ch'io pianga", "Cara sposa, amante cara, dove sei?" and "Venti, turbini, prestate le vostre ali a questo pie".
Unfortunately, the remaining musical performances are not nearly as absorbing and rather repetitive. The film again flails toward the end when we are given a rather silly scene involving a solar eclipse and gratuitous nudity with a ménage a trois among Farinelli, Riccardo and Alexandra, the woman who is - quite literally - between them. The remaining performances are fine with Enrico LoVerso conveying his Salieri-like inferiority with appropriate fervor, Elsa Zylberstein beguiling as Alexandra and Caroline Cellier doing a fine Jeanne Moreau impersonation as the jaded Margareth Hunter. Overall it's still a relatively disappointing movie saved by Handel's musical genius. Except for a few trailers, there are no extras with the DVD. For those interested in the world of the castrati in more penetrating detail, I suggest reading Anne Rice's 1982 novel, "Cry to Heaven", and the "Rinaldo" arias are better served by countertenor David Daniels and mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli on their 2002 cast recording conducted by Christopher Hogwood.
Movie Review: truth or what?
Summary: 3 Stars
Missed this flick since I live in a culturally deprived city in NJ (2nd largest), and was always interested in this cultural phen. My interest led me to book research: Berbier/Castratos in French with s so-so translation in English. On to the review:Very good 'costume drama', evocative sets, imaginatively designed but parts were acted at times a bit woodenly. Overall, enjoyed it but to hear the vocal range one should listen to a CD.
What I was looking for was to hear the vocal range of 3 to 4 octaves similar to the violin. Recommended for cultural curiosity
Movie Review: Historically inaccurate
Summary: 3 Stars
A good source of entertainment, but historically inaccurate. For one thing, Farinelli famously DID NOT sing Handel's music; he sang for the rival company in London and maintained a very antagonistic relationship with Handel.Movie Review: Beautiful But Silly
Summary: 2 Stars
Visually opulent, and with a stunning soundtrack, this film could have been so much better if it didn't take completely unnecessary--and foolish--liberties with the story of the real Farinelli. Unfortunately, much of the plot is just plain silly. Whether or not a castrato would have been capable of sexual relations (and it is believed that they were), it is absurd how the film proposes that Farinelli would have sex with a woman, but then had to turn her over to his uncastrated brother to finish her off, as it were. I doubt that a man's ability to ejaculate has much to do with a woman's sexual satisfaction. And the portrayal of the composer George Frideric Handel is just plain ridiculous. When I saw this film in a theater with three friends, the scene where Handel hears Farinelli sing and nearly has a heart attack, with his wig falling off, prompted all four of us to laugh out loud. (In reality, Handel didn't have as high an opinion of Farinelli's singing as some, and chose not to hire him for his own opera troupe.) The film also depicts Farinelli plotting to sing Handel's music by having a maid steal a manuscript from Handel's apartment. The result is Farinelli singing "Lascia ch'io pianga" from the opera Rinaldo--which makes no sense at all, since that aria was written for a woman soprano, not an alto castrato, and Farinelli didn't perform travesty roles. Besides, by the time of the incident portrayed, the score of Rinaldo had been published and Farinelli could have simply purchased a copy. The main attraction of this film is the soundtrack. We really have no idea what the castrati sounded like (yes, I know there is a recording of "the last castrato" made in 1902, but it's a terribly weak representation of what the great ones must have sounded like), so for the film they concocted a unique voice by digitally combining the sounds of a woman soprano and a male falsettist. The result is dazzling; my recommendation is to buy the soundtrack. The best elements of the film are the beautiful costumes and camera work. The staging of opera scenes is beautiful enough that you wish they had included complete excerpts, instead of frustratingly brief teases; at least the musical selections are complete on the soundtrack CD.Movie Review: Terrible movie, incredible music
Summary: 2 Stars
There are too many inaccuracies in this movie that I cannot even count them! In addition, the plot was terrible, the casting was awkward, and the sex scenes unnecessary. This cannot be called a 'period movie.'For anyone who knows anything about castrati, they would never have looked like Stefano Dionisi (masculine and angular. Farinelli was called 'il ragazzo' (the boy) on account of his childlike appearance. Also, his lip-syncing with the audio track was perpetually ill-timed (though acceptable for a non-musician) and distracting.
However, even though I feel the artistic merit of this movie is negligible, the soundtrack is one of the most incredible recordings I have ever heard. The artificial castrato voice created for this film is sublime and definitely worth investing in.