Immortal Beloved Review

Immortal Beloved Review

        Immortal Beloved is a film that tells the biography of Ludwig von Beethoven through flashbacks. Secretary and friend of Beethoven,  Anton Schindler, has taken on the responsibility of finding out who the “immortal beloved” the composer addressed his final letter to, found after his death. Anton narrows down the search for the mysterious women, to three possibilities: one of Beethoven’s music students, Julia Quicciard, Beethoven’s brother wife, Johanna van Beethoven, and the women he met after she escorted him off stage after being embarrassed and the public finding out his deafness, Countess Anna Erodody. The film follows Beethoven through his romantic encounters, hearing loss, and eventually his emotional instability.

        Immortal Beloved is successful since it focuses on the details of Beethoven’s life, while also paying attention to his music. One of the most impactful scenes is the opening scene when we see Beethoven on his death bed and then cuts to the view of his funeral, with the funeral mass he composed playing in the background. Setting the film up this way lets viewers get a sense of Beethoven’s music and the impact it had on his life. Unlike musical biographies like Amadeus, the director of Immortal Beloved spends time showing the emotion and what went into making and composing the music. It examines the man behind the symphonies, while his secretary interviews women to get to the bottom of the mystery behind the letter. The film also takes us through the journey Beethoven went through with coping with becoming deaf early on in his twenties.

        The film is able to stay true to Beethoven’s life while still shedding a light on the music’s meaning. While the film didn't receive any awards, besides a nomination for best costume design, it still was successful among the public. Immortal Beloved creates a complete character with the depth and passion shown in Beethoven’s character.