Immortal Beloved (1994)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Bernard Rose

Writer (WGA):

Bernard Rose (written by)

Release Date:

6 January 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Music | Romance

Tagline:

The genius behind the music. The madness behind the man. The untold love story of Ludwig von Beethoven.

Plot:

The life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven. Beside all the work he is known for, the composer...

Plot Keywords:

Beethoven | Last Will | Love Letter | Composer | Letter

Cast

Gary Oldman	...	Ludwig van Beethoven
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Anton Felix Schindler
Isabella Rossellini	...	Anna Marie Erdödy
Johanna ter Steege	...	Johanna Reiss
Marco Hofschneider	...	Karl van Beethoven
Miriam Margolyes	...	Nanette Streicherová
Barry Humphries	...	Clemens Metternich
Valeria Golino	...	Giulietta Guicciardi
Gerard Horan	...	Nikolaus Johann van Beethoven
Christopher Fulford	...	Kaspar Anton Carl van Beethoven
Alexandra Pigg	...	Therese Obermayer
Luigi Diberti	...	Franz Josef Guicciardi
Michael Culkin	...	Jakob Hotscevar
Donal Gibson	...	Karl Holz
Matthew North	...	Young Karl van Beethoven
Geno Lechner	...	Josephine von Brunsvik
Claudia Solti	...	Theresa von Brunsvik
Rory Edwards	...	Wenzel Robert von Gallenberg
Hannes Flaschberger	...	Joseph Deym
Leo Faulkner	...	Young Ludwig van Beethoven
Fintan McKeown	...	Johann van Beethoven, Sr
Everton Nelson	...	George Bridgetower
Sandra Voe	...	Marie Fröhlich
Bernard Rose	...	Elector Max Friedrich
Jindra Petráková	...	Lilo Braun
Marek Vasut	...	Custody policeman
Hugo Kaminský	...	Magistrate
Stanislav Behal	...	Ignaz Schuppanzigh
Arnostka Mohelská	...	Suzanna Guicciardi
Stepan Hlatky	...	Zoltan
Gordon Lovitt	...	Metternich's flunky
Anna Kolinska	...	Fritzi Erdödy
Ruby Rose	...	Mimi Erdödy
Johan Kolinsky	...	August Erdödy
Josef Kolinsky	...	August Erdödy
Jan Kuzelka	...	Country policeman
Barbora Srncová	...	Erdödy's servant
Bruce Davey	...	Artillery captain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jan Censký	...	Captain (uncredited)
Tomás Hanák	...	Jacob Raicz (uncredited)
Stanislav Hybler	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Ladislav Kazda	...	Landlord (uncredited)
Jirí Patocka	...	Pock-marked tramp (uncredited)
Petr Pospíchal	...	Thin man (uncredited)
Pavel Vondruska	...	Aristocrat (uncredited)

Directed by
Bernard Rose

Writing credits (WGA)
Bernard Rose		(written by)

Produced by
Bruce Davey	....	producer
Stephen McEveety	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Peter Suschitzky		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dan Rae

Casting by
Marion Dougherty

Production Design by
Jirí Hlupý

Art Direction by
John Myhre		(supervising art director)
Olga Rosenfelderova

Costume Design by
Maurizio Millenotti

Makeup Department
Ivana Chlostova	....	makeup artist
Grazia De Rossi	....	head hair stylist
Italo Di Pinto	....	hair stylist
Enrico Jacoponi	....	makeup artist
Alessandra Sforza	....	makeup artist
Fabrizio Sforza	....	makeup designer
Jirí Farkas	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Bobo Sobotka	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Chris Silver Finigan	....	production manager
Jaroslav Kucera	....	production manager: Czech Republic
Jim Lemley	....	production manager
Ivan Stefka	....	unit manager: Czech Republic
Jan Balzer	....	production supervisor (uncredited)
Katerina Schauerová	....	production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Trey Batchelor	....	second assistant director
Lee Cleary	....	first assistant director
Kenneth Michael	....	second second assistant director
Oldrich Mach	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Milan Babik	....	assistant props
Gary Dawson	....	stand-by props
Marek Hlupy	....	assistant art director
Michael Kraus	....	assistant props
Vladimir Planansky	....	assistant art director
Karel Vanásek	....	property master
Jan Vlasák	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Bob Beher	....	foley editor
Bill W. Benton	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Beshears	....	adr editor
Rick Bozeat	....	background effects editor
Chris Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tomas Choura	....	cable person
Clayton Collins	....	dialogue editor
Peter Glossop	....	sound mixer
Sarah Goldsmith	....	dialogue editor
Doug Hemphill	....	sound re-recording mixer (as D.M. Hemphill)
Philip A. Hess	....	foley editor
Hilda Hodges	....	foley artist
Nigel Holland	....	sound designer
Nigel Holland	....	sound supervisor
Chris Jargo	....	adr supervisor
Dave McMoyler	....	additional sound (as David McMoyler)
Shaun Mills	....	boom operator
Michelle Pazer	....	assistant sound editor
Vic Radulich	....	sound effects editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Anne Sawyer	....	assistant sound editor
Christopher Sheldon	....	foley supervisor
Bill Voigtlander	....	adr editor
Kim Waugh	....	digital recordist
Mary Jo Lang	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Philip D. Morrill	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Carolyn Tapp	....	foley recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ian Corbould	....	special effects assistant
Paul Corbould	....	special effects assistant
Garth Inns	....	special effects coordinator
Jirí Zavrel	....	special effects assistant
Barbora Kolarova	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Steven Warner	....	special effects trainee (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Isa Alsup	....	computer graphics supervisor
Tricia Henry Ashford	....	visual effects executive producer (as Tricia Ashford)
Andrew Eio	....	motion control supervisor
David Fuhrer	....	digital artist: CFC
Rob Hodgson	....	composite artist
Steven T Puri	....	visual effects producer
Stuart Robertson	....	visual effects supervisor
Janek Sirrs	....	composite artist
Christopher Walsh	....	computer animator
Eric Withee	....	digital film technician: RGA/LA (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Adolf Borl	....	rigger
Ivan Chalupa	....	best boy grip
Sandra Dillon	....	camera intern
Charlie Freess	....	key grip
Jean-Yves Freess	....	dolly grip
Artur Frys	....	rigger
Michel Garçon	....	generator operator
Pal Gyulay	....	chief lighting technician
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer
Rawdon Hayne	....	first assistant camera
Lukas Klika	....	electrician
Zdenek Manych	....	playback operator
Jan Ptacek	....	rigger
Miroslav Ptack	....	rigger (as Miroslav Ptacek)
Patrick Renault	....	rigging gaffer
Lubos Simecek	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Pavel Stark	....	electrician
Petr Sulc	....	electrician
Adam Suschitzky	....	second assistant camera
Jiri Svenha	....	electrician
Jaroslav Ungr	....	grip
Jirí Vrána	....	electrician
Petr Zavrel	....	video assist operator
Jaroslav Zeman	....	grip
Daryn Okada	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Petr Hartl	....	casting: Czech Republic
Jina Jay	....	casting associate: England
Lucie Stocková	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pierre Bechir	....	tailor
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe supervisor
Giovanni Casalnuovo	....	assistant costume designer (as Gianni Casalnuovo)
Alfonsina Lettieri	....	assistant costume designer
Zuzana Machova	....	costumer
Mila Vyborny	....	costumer
Bela Friedlová	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
David Orr	....	color timer
Warren Paef	....	assistant film editor
Diana Seel	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Dean Beville	....	music editor
Choeurs et Orchestre National de Lyon	....	musician
London Voices	....	musician
Georg Solti	....	musical director (as Sir Georg Solti)
John Stronach	....	music supervisor
Richard King	....	music scoring engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Jiri Husak	....	transportation captain
Mike Kreinbrink	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Eva Z. Cabrera	....	script supervisor
Sabrina Calley	....	assistant production coordinator
Diane Chittell	....	production coordinator
Kyle Cooper	....	title designer
Susan d'Arcy	....	publicist
Penny Dyer	....	dialect coach
Joy Ellison	....	dialect coach: Ms. Rossellini
Zdenek Fiala	....	location manager
Marie Grochová	....	production secretary
Monika Hanzlikova	....	production assistant
Lil Heyman	....	production coordinator
Charles Kaye	....	executive assistant: Sir Georg Solti
George Komrower	....	production assistant
Jana Kraliková	....	unit interpreter
Martin Krauka	....	production assistant
Shauna L. Kroen	....	production accountant
Lucienne Lane	....	assistant: Mr. Oldman
Alena Lichvarov	....	production secretary
Ingrid Mohelska	....	unit interpreter
Daniela Pavlova	....	unit interpreter
Silvia Ranfagni	....	assistant: Mr. Millenotti
Lisa Roberts	....	researcher
Katarina Slampova	....	assistant: Mr. Rose (as Katarina Slampová)
Ken Smith	....	piano consultant
Ivana Stefková	....	assistant to production managers
Petr Stemberk	....	assistant location manager
Jessica Stoltz	....	accounting clerk
Ian Stone	....	production assistant
Zuzana Strejckov	....	assistant to production managers (as Zuzana Strejcková)
Sinclair Tenenbaum	....	legal services: Olesiuk & Co. Inc.
Samantha Thomas	....	assistant to producers
Ian Townsend	....	piano tutor: Mr. Oldman
Dita Valentinova	....	unit interpreter
Bonnie F. Watkins	....	assistant: Mr. Davey
Tristan Whalley	....	international publicist
Sandra L. Yeary	....	assistant accountant
Nelly Jencíková	....	financial supervisor (uncredited)
Michal Prikryl	....	location coordinator: Prague (uncredited)
Michal Prikryl	....	location manager: Prague (uncredited)
Steven T Puri	....	title producer (uncredited)
Jiri Tichacek	....	assistant accounting (uncredited)

Thanks
Gerardo Sacco	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Icon Entertainment International
• Majestic Films International

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Films AB (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Falcon (1995) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Araba Films (Spain)
• Columbia Pictures
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Egmont Film (1995) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures (2007) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Transmundo Films (Argentina)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (Argentina) (video)

Special Effects

• Computer Film Company, The (CFC)

Other Companies

• Sony Classical  soundtrack
• Decca Record Company, The  courtesy of: Sir Georg Solti appears
• Panavision  camera equipment provided by

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:14A | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Kromeriz, Czech Republic

Company:

Icon Entertainment International

Trivia:

Some extras fainted in the extreme heat during the filming of the funeral scene.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Countess Erdody's home is hit, during Napoleon's bombing of Vienna, her son is thrown by the blast before it actually hits.

Quotes:

Ludwig van Beethoven: It is the power of music to carry one directly into the mental state of the composer.

Movie Connections:

References Citizen Kane (1941)

Soundtrack:

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61

The wild genius

Not quite as dramatic as AMADEUS, to which there are obvious comparisons, it is a powerful film in its own right.

Taking the mysterious letter which Beethoven wrote to his "Immortal beloved" as the starting point, we follow his secretary's attempt to identify the person to whom the letter is addressed. No one knows, to this day, who that person really is, but the film offers an interesting theory.

The letter, however, is just a device to tell the story of the wild genius who personifies the Romantic movement in art. The letter serves much the same purpose as does Rosebud in CITIZEN KANE -- a method of stringing together a series of flashbacks that reveal the personality of the central figure.

The acting is wonderful and the music is powerful.