Helpful suggestion to new viewers
Added 7/29/2009
This film left me cold when I first saw it; I almost think I was watching a different film. But recently I've revisited it and its excerpts on YouTube, and I have been completely captivated by the story and music. And although this "biography" is reportedly more fiction than fact, it is still too lush, fascinating, tragic, and beautiful to be overlooked. (Music of the Baroque Era is my favorite genre, Handel my favorite composer; I'm certainly biased in favor of both.)
Here's my suggestion: If you watch this movie, be sure to find the lyrics at least to "Lascia ch'io pianga" and to follow them during that sequence. Better yet, stock up with all the lyrics; they're easy to find on the Web. Just search for the arias' titles.
Here's why: For viewers like me who speak only one language, the subtitles on the DVD of this film don't include the lyrics to the music. Without the lyrics, you can't fully appreciate the richness of the story: the relationship between the brothers Carlo (the younger, stage name Farinelli) and Riccardo Broschi (the older); the tormented position of the castrato in society (loved, lauded, exploited, denied, and reviled); and of the era itself.
These conflicts are particularly revealed in the "Lascia ch'io pianga" sequence. In that aria, the imprisoned hero of the opera (sung by Farinelli) mourns the loss of his freedom, while the intertwined flashbacks reveal how he really became a castrato. Carlo/Farinelli has always been told his castration was the result of a tragic accident. We learn in the preceding sequence and we see in the flashbacks that Farinelli's (Carlo's) own brother had him castrated while the child Carlo was drugged, to ensure that Carlo's splendid voice would endure to grace Riccardo's own music -- music unworthy of the sacrifice. But the betrayal that stole Carlo's freedom to choose his fate preserved his art. How can Carlo reconcile himself to such betrayal and loss -- and yet gain?
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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wonderful view into the Baroque
Added 5/30/2009
Though this is not on a par with Amadeus, it is an incredibly rich portrait of a period. I was fascinated by it, and my daughter, a serious singing student, saw (non-racy) portions of it in her French school. It is a very European film, paying minute attention to historical (if not biographical) detail. It is also a taut drama between two brother, one a performer of genius (truly a rock star of his age) and the other a hanger-on who uses his brother to advance an otherwise mediocre talent. Hamdel is also fun, but I never appreciated him all that much.
At the core of the drama is a terrible secret, of course. The brothers are very close, sharing lovers and their music, and their love for each other is lost eventually. While this is not biographically anything we can know, it is great drama that never becomes soap opera.
You see popular culture for aristocrats of the time, which is a real treat. They are not portrayed as silly dilettantes (such an easy cheap shot), but as great cultural enthusiasts and patrons, which some of them were.
Recommended warmly. It is worth re-viewing many times and we certainly will.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Templar Legacy
Added 3/22/2009
Cleverly embedded within Farinelli's story is the true legacy of the Templar Knights: a secret yogic practice for self-liberation. Haendel in the role of the Templar Grandmaster, signified by the rod with horse-head he carries. This is the most complex, multidimensional movie I've ever seen. I watched it 3 times in a row, discovering more and more subtleties each time. Symbology is flawless throughout. This is breath-taking, indeed!
1 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Magnificent story
Added 10/24/2008
This movie is exquisitely shot and directed, and the display of baroque opera segments is stunning. There is much validity in the dipiction of late baroque music and performance practice. The opening scenes of a warning to the child Carlo Bruschi by a suicidal castrato sets the tone for the curtained emotions of the hero. Highly recommended and a must-buy for music history fans.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Historically inaccurate
Added 11/13/2007
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.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Helpful suggestion to new viewers
Added 7/29/2009
This film left me cold when I first saw it; I almost think I was watching a different film. But recently I've revisited it and its excerpts on YouTube, and I have been completely captivated by the story and music. And although this "biography" is reportedly more fiction than fact, it is still too lush, fascinating, tragic, and beautiful to be overlooked. (Music of the Baroque Era is my favorite genre, Handel my favorite composer; I'm certainly biased in favor of both.)
Here's my suggestion: If you watch this movie, be sure to find the lyrics at least to "Lascia ch'io pianga" and to follow them during that sequence. Better yet, stock up with all the lyrics; they're easy to find on the Web. Just search for the arias' titles.
Here's why: For viewers like me who speak only one language, the subtitles on the DVD of this film don't include the lyrics to the music. Without the lyrics, you can't fully appreciate the richness of the story: the relationship between the brothers Carlo (the younger, stage name Farinelli) and Riccardo Broschi (the older); the tormented position of the castrato in society (loved, lauded, exploited, denied, and reviled); and of the era itself.
These conflicts are particularly revealed in the "Lascia ch'io pianga" sequence. In that aria, the imprisoned hero of the opera (sung by Farinelli) mourns the loss of his freedom, while the intertwined flashbacks reveal how he really became a castrato. Carlo/Farinelli has always been told his castration was the result of a tragic accident. We learn in the preceding sequence and we see in the flashbacks that Farinelli's (Carlo's) own brother had him castrated while the child Carlo was drugged, to ensure that Carlo's splendid voice would endure to grace Riccardo's own music -- music unworthy of the sacrifice. But the betrayal that stole Carlo's freedom to choose his fate preserved his art. How can Carlo reconcile himself to such betrayal and loss -- and yet gain?
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
wonderful view into the Baroque
Added 5/30/2009
Though this is not on a par with Amadeus, it is an incredibly rich portrait of a period. I was fascinated by it, and my daughter, a serious singing student, saw (non-racy) portions of it in her French school. It is a very European film, paying minute attention to historical (if not biographical) detail. It is also a taut drama between two brother, one a performer of genius (truly a rock star of his age) and the other a hanger-on who uses his brother to advance an otherwise mediocre talent. Hamdel is also fun, but I never appreciated him all that much.
At the core of the drama is a terrible secret, of course. The brothers are very close, sharing lovers and their music, and their love for each other is lost eventually. While this is not biographically anything we can know, it is great drama that never becomes soap opera.
You see popular culture for aristocrats of the time, which is a real treat. They are not portrayed as silly dilettantes (such an easy cheap shot), but as great cultural enthusiasts and patrons, which some of them were.
Recommended warmly. It is worth re-viewing many times and we certainly will.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Templar Legacy
Added 3/22/2009
Cleverly embedded within Farinelli's story is the true legacy of the Templar Knights: a secret yogic practice for self-liberation. Haendel in the role of the Templar Grandmaster, signified by the rod with horse-head he carries. This is the most complex, multidimensional movie I've ever seen. I watched it 3 times in a row, discovering more and more subtleties each time. Symbology is flawless throughout. This is breath-taking, indeed!
1 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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