The Legend of 1900
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Movie Reviews of The Legend of 1900
Movie Review: Absolute Must See
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the European release of "The Legend of 1900" and is an absolute must see movie. Trust me, this is something you have to OWN because it's compulsive viewing that requires watching over and over again and be delighted to find new things each time afresh.
This is not a romantic love story that some reviewers had us believed. The strength of the story lies in the human journey of life, the poetic script and the delivery of lines, the hauntingly beautiful music and cinematography, the strong acting of a fine cast, the thoughtful production and vision of the director- all the elements we come to appreciate in European films as opposed to the pedestrian Hollywood box office stuff. It's an Italian production directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and made in Rome.
Tim Roth shines. Don't miss his stunning performance.
The story begins with the touching scene of Max, a down and out talented musician selling his trumpet at a pawn shop for next to nothing to buy a decent meal. He begged to play his trumpet one last time and began to play the music created by a "nameless" pianist known as 1900. The indifferent pawnbroker was at once moved by the music and curious about the story behind.
Max reminisced the past on how he got to know 1900 when he played on the luxurious ocean liner, Virginian. His first meeting with 1900 is absolutely mesmerising. He was so sea sick that 1900 showed him the way to cure his misery- the now famous piano ride scene- with 1900 playing magical music on a moving grand piano(with brakes taken off). It's an amazingly breathtaking scene that completely captivates the audience with the piano surging backward and forward to the rhythm of the rough sea, crashing everything in the way and landing them in trouble with the ship captain. While being punished to shovel coal in the engine room, 1900's story was told.
He was a newborn foundling in a lemon box on top of a grand piano in the first class cabin discovered by an engine room coal stoker. Hardship and harshness of life had not diminished his kindness of heart and yearning for love so he raised the boy to avoid the boy's doomed fate of an orphanage.
Audience will be moved and enjoy how 1900 still talked about people would be locked up in an orphanage if they don't have children as his adoptive father told him once in jest when he was little. This is 1900's own quiet way of coping with his private grief and keeping his adoptive father's memory alive.
He was born to make music on the piano with magical fingers which impressed the ship captain and others so much that he was allowed to stay on board to entertain after his adoptive father died in an engine room accident and was adored by all. But there would be lonely moments when he and his music were left abandoned by the adoring crowd after the ship docked and passengers flocked ashore to their respective lives and then he was all alone again with his piano.
1900 knew little beyond the confines of the ship and was innocent and naive of the ways of the world. His communication and interaction with people were through his music which he created instinctively to express himself and in response to his immediate environment through his keen observations of people and the world around him.
Through some lovely and thoughtful piano recital scenes for both first and third class passengers, the director shows us how unaffected 1900 was and how he was totally comfortable mixing with the rich and the poor unconscious of class distinction. He was as relaxed with the rich in his tailed tuxedo in the first class cabin as with the poor immigrants in third class who would utter some incomprehensible notes and asked 1900 to play a tune that reminded them of the home they left behind. 1900 would make magical music just on hearing a tune once, to the delight of the crowd.
The three landmark episodes of his life were played out in the following poignant scenes:-
1) His humble response to the ostentatious King of Jazz's bully and challenge to a piano duel. Watch out for how they use a cigarette to prove who has the lightest butterfly fingers whilst making the most earth shattering music and how he plays as if he had two pairs of hands.
2) His gentle, brief yet profound encounter with the girl, a third class passenger, the power of which lies with the director's deliberate intent to leave an indelible mark on the audience through the unsaid, the unspoken and the unrequited love.
3) His trust and friendhip with Max culminating to the bittersweet ending of the story through his most endearing and enduring soliloquy about his fear of life not so much because of what he saw but what he didn't see- "Where the whole thing came to an end....how do you just choose one woman, one house, one piece of land to call your own, one landscape to look at.....one way to die.....You don't even know where it all comes to an end......it's a voyage too long, perfume too strong...I can't get off the ship(his reality); at best, I can step off my life..." This is some powerful stuff that could easily be uttered by anyone of us in our eternal search for our reality and the meaning of life.
This sums up the tragedy that's his and ours.
Movie Review: Astounding Rare Gem Not to be Missed!
Summary: 5 Stars
Trust me, this is something you have to OWN because it's compulsive viewing that requires watching over and over again and be delighted to find new things each time afresh.
This is not a romantic love story that some reviewers had us believed. The strength of the story lies in the human journey of life, the poetic script and the delivery of lines, the hauntingly beautiful music and cinematography, the strong acting of a fine cast, the thoughtful production and vision of the director- all the elements we come to appreciate in European films as opposed to the pedestrian Hollywood box office stuff. It's an Italian production directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and made in Rome.
Tim Roth shines. Don't miss his stunning performance.
The story begins with the touching scene of Max, a down and out talented musician selling his trumpet at a pawn shop for next to nothing to buy a decent meal. He begged to play his trumpet one last time and began to play the music created by a "nameless" pianist known as 1900. The indifferent pawnbroker was at once moved by the music and curious about the story behind.
Max reminisced the past on how he got to know 1900 when he played on the luxurious ocean liner, Virginian. His first meeting scene with 1900 is absolutely mesmerising. He was so sea sick that 1900 showed him the way to cure his misery - the now famous piano ride scene- with 1900 playing magical music on a moving grand piano (with brakes taken off). It's an amazingly breathtaking scene that completely captivates the audience with the piano surging backward and forward to the rhythm of the rough sea, crashing everything in the way and landing them in trouble with the ship captain. While being punished to shovel coal in the engine room, 1900's story was told.
He was a newborn foundling in a lemon box on top of a grand piano in the first class cabin discovered by an engine room coal stoker. Hardship and harshness of life had not diminished his kindness of heart and yearning for love so he raised the boy to avoid the boy's doomed fate of an orphanage.
Audience will be moved and enjoy how 1900 still talked about people would be locked up in an orphanage if they don't have children as his adoptive father told him once in jest when he was little. This is 1900's own quiet way of coping with his private grief and keeping his adoptive father's memory alive.
1900 knew little beyond the confines of the ship and was innocent and naive of the ways of the world. His communication and interaction with people were through his music which he created instinctively to express himself and in response to his immediate environment through his keen observations of people and the world around him.
He was born to make music on the piano with magical fingers which impressed the ship captain and others so much that he was allowed to stay on board to entertain after his adoptive father died in an engine room accident and was adored by all. But there would be lonely moments when he and his music were left abandoned by the adoring crowd after the ship docked and passengers flocked ashore to their respective lives and then he was all alone again with his piano.
Through some lovely and thoughtful piano recital scenes for both first and third class passengers, the director shows us how unaffected 1900 was and how he was totally comfortable mixing with the rich and the poor unconscious of class distinction. He was as relaxed with the rich in his tailed tuxedo in first class cabin as with the poor immigrants in the third class cabin who would utter some incomprehensible notes and asked 1900 to play a tune that reminded them of the home they left behind. 1900 would make magical music just on hearing a tune once, to the delight of the crowd.
The three landmark episodes of his life were played out in the following poignant scenes:-
1) His humble response to the ostentatious King of Jazz's bully and challenge to a piano duel. Watch out for how they use a cigarette to prove who has the lightest butterfly fingers whilst making the most earth shattering music and how he plays as if he had two pairs of hands.
2) His gentle, brief yet profound encounter with the girl, a third class passenger, the power of which lies with the director's deliberate intent to leave an indelible mark on the audience through the unsaid, the unspoken and the unrequited love.
3) His trust and friendship with Max culminating to the bittersweet ending of the story through his most endearing and enduring soliloquy about his fear of life not so much because of what he saw but what he didn't see -"Where the whole thing came to an end...how do you just choose one woman, one house, one piece of land to call your own, one landscape to look at ...one way to die...you don't even know where it all comes to an end...it's a voyage too long, perfume too strong... I can't get off the ship (his reality); at best, I can step off my life..."This is some powerful stuff that could easily be uttered by anyone of us in our eternal search for our reality and the meaning of life.
This sums up the tragedy that's his and ours.
I am just typing off the top of my head after I saw the film and can't wait to share with you. I can certainly fine tune and improve on it given more time but in the meantime, enjoy.
Movie Review: A journey, a dream, a fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
I feel that many of the reviews here do not get Tornatorrwe. To appreciate this fabulous Italian director is to understand that the plot does not really matter in and of itself. The plot here is simle, if unusual, a boy who is a musical genuis - born and living his whole life on a transatlantic liner in the golden age of translatlantic voyages.
Those looking for a "period drama" will be disappointed here. This movie, like many of Tornatorre's films, is a journey through time and human experiences. The film is interlaced with retrospectives back and forth through time, weaved on a canvas of beautiful images - such is the picture of fascinated passangers arriving in America when they see the statue of Liverty or the main character playing a piano which is "dancing" in the ballroom of a ship.
This movie is a rich poetic and artistic exerience for those who are willing to take the journey. The music of Enio Morricone is wanderful, the performances are impressive and the experience memorable.
Gen on the ship and enjoy the journey!
p.s. for those who like the movie, I recommend other Tornatorre/Moricone features, such as "Malena" and, of course "Cinema Paradiso"
Movie Review: Beautifully filmed
Summary: 4 Stars
I can't say that I loved the ending, but I was captivated by this film. The music is, of course, lovely, but it was the cinematography that I thought stunning. I found myself searching through each scene for something that was a bright, apple-green.Movie Review: Good Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I did not want to watch this movie that my retired husband thought was so great. I humored him by sitting down to watch it this evening and have to say that it is one of the best movies I have seen in some time. We both get dismayed by the fact that some very good movies get overlooked or unnoticed because of the Hollywood politics or whatever. We are not all that consumed by special effects and the glitz that is so much a part of some of the prominent films released. Anyway, this movie is fantastic and I will think about it and ponder it and love it long after the next Mission Impossible or whatever declines in popularity. It is a worthy movie and a "must see" by adults who can appreciate a good story, movie, without being inundated with special affects and hype. Truly a good story and movie.