Copying Beethoven (2006)

Beethoven tells us how to make real music - music that will speak God's language and come "from the gut." Thanks Ludwig, but we sort of already know this now.

Naturally, the composer needs a copyist to generate sheet music from the original composition for the musicians in time for the performance. A drop dead gorgeous budding musical genius is sent from the academy to help Beethoven and the movie tells the account of this fictional relationship; fortunately, it remains platonic.

The traditional 18th century struggles are portrayed - and even emphasized in this movie. Women not being respected for their intellect and industry. Art versus technology. Art verses popular art. In the end you sense a bit of cliché.

What saves this film from oblivion is some (not all) solid performances. They manage to rake a few coals from the modernized speech script and give us something to watch.

Of course the music is genius. They may as well make a dozen more films about Beethoven's 9th because it's just fun to watch a deaf conductor euforically conduct the Ode to Joy. Which brings up another problem with the film. During this part of Beethoven's life, he was completely deaf. However, in the film, he is just hard of hearing right up to his death. I thought the film would be more dramatic if he were deaf, but I guess they didn't want to have to pull out the chalk boards and have the script written out.

Immortal Beloved was much, much better. This film focused too much on what it wanted to say and not enough on the story and characters who could have expressed the point better on their own.

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