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So how many of you have ever seen the movie "Shine"? Its about an Australian pianist, who is a child progogy. David Helfgott (Played by Geoffery Rush) has an ambition to play Rachmaninoffs Third Piano Concerto, the most difficult piece for piano ever written. (according to the movie). He is a bit insane and retires from piano at one point, only to make a triumphant return to it. Shine is true story and David Helfgott is still alive today, still giving concerts. I saw this movie for the first time a few weeks ago and I loved it. I highly recomend it to anyone who hasn't seen it and yes, he does only play classical. The movie was made in 1996.

There was a fair amount of "hype" not only about this movie when it came out but also about Helfgott, a pianist considered by some to be erratic at best and with a limited technique and mediocre interpretive abilities by today's standards. His few available recordings have received very bland - sometimes negative - reviews.

Let's just say I liked the movie. But it's no "Anchors Aweigh"

[ August 05, 2001: Message edited by: netizen ]

I love the movie so much that I bought it on DVD. I have all movies assosiated with piano on DVD. Even the most wonderful movie ever created..."the piano." I have others like Immortal Beloved, Amadeus, the Art of the Piano, etc.

I love the pieces that "Shine" used in the movie. They are all so wonderful. Geoffry Rush is a wonderful actor. I would love so much to meet him one day.

I also forgot to mention that I can't stand reviews. It's just someone else's opinion which means absolutely nothing. Your talk about hype and reviews...who cares what anyone else thinks?

Except that Bruce's reviewers are correct, Helfgott is a mediocre pianist at best. That, and at least one of the events in the movie never happened, possibly more. I really enjoyed the movie, though, and agree that Geoffry Rush is a great actor.

Ryan

[ August 06, 2001: Message edited by: ryan ]

[ August 06, 2001: Message edited by: ryan ]

Zelda:

Actually, I find that reviews can be very helpful. Since I, unfortunately, can't spend my life running to performances whenever and wherever I feel like it, if I didn't read reviews, I wouldn't be aware of who the young up-coming artists are; I wouldn't be aware of whom to watch for in the future. If I didn't read reviews, I wouldn't be aware of where and what my favorite artists are performing. If I didn't read reviews, I would not be familiar with the names and efforts of Kissin, Volodos, Hamelin, Pappano, Fleming, etc., since I haven't been able to hear them in concert.

There are some reviewers whose names I have come to know for having read their reviews for years and whose opinions - because of their credentials and broad listening experiences - I can respect. I have many CDs in my collection that I would not have bought - and would not therefore have the pleasure of enjoying - if I hadn't read an intelligent review of them before hand. Equally, there are many CDs that I have avoided buying because an informed opinion of them tells me that they are no better, or maybe worse, than performances I already have of a given work.

Certainly, reviews are the opinions of one person, and not all opinions should be taken as gospel, but if that opinion is intelligently arrived at and expressed in terms that are meaningful to me, I can respect it. Just as I don't dismiss opinions expressed by people on this forum, so I don't dismiss - totally - opinions expressed by those who earn their living at it and who have a lot of listening experience and life experience to back them up.

Now, as for hype: that I can live without!

Regards,

Zeldal,

What piano movies would you recommend? I second Bruce's comments regarding music critics and reviews. For my decades of music enjoyment reviews can be quite helpful if you know who is reviewing.

Rgds,
AndrewG

I forgot to mention that 'Shine' is indeed an excellent movie. I watched a few times and enjoyed every time. As to Helfgott's piano playing not only that I can live without I actually try hard to stay away from his horrible playing. Forgive me for saying that because that's how his playing sounds to me.

Yes you have good points about reviews and I totally understand that. It's just sometimes I get extremely frusterated when people base their opinions off other people's opinions before they have expirienced it themselves. Some review people are totally wrong with modern music especially. A couple judged Hanson's new cd so unintelligently and others praised it. To me it is one of the greatest albums ever. I just don't respect or trust ALL most reviewers although some can some along that are quite right.

About the piano movies I recommend, I basically just listed them above.

1.) The piano
2.) immortal beloved.
3.) shine
4.) the art of the piano
5.) amedeus

I also have two movies that I recorded from AMC. I don't have the full versions, but one is black and white, and is about a male violist who falls in love with a young piano teacher that taught his daughter. He falls in love with her mainly because of the way she can play music, and how deep it is. He runs away with her and just leaves his family behind. They go and play concerts together and become famous...and well there's more to it. But the second one is about a father that teaches his genius son piano and they perform alot of amazing duets througout the film. I wish I knew the name of these two, then I could recommend them, but they are among my favorite piano movies. I just basically record anything on TV that has piano involved in it.

Also, go and watch Orginal Sin in the movie theatres. The movie with Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas. The soundtrack contains wonderful piano music.

I'm pretty leary of biographical movies about composers. Having seen "Immortal Beloved", "Amadeus" and "Nocturne" I believe they should all begin with a disclaimer stating that they contain conjectural information, especially "Nocturne" and "Immortal Beloved". I believe the general public is lead astray and misinformed by these movies.

What I will say positively about them, however, is they usually have fabulous sound tracks and beautiful scenery! The plots are bad either, if you're in to fictional accounts of people's lives.

Oops. I meant to write "The plots aren't bad either, if you're into fictional accounts of people's lives". Freudian slip, I think.

Another film with a musical/musician theme is "Tous les matins du monde", probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I thought it was a beautiful film.

I also enjoyed 'Shine', though apparently there is some artistic licence taken with the actual events of Helfgott's life, particularly the trauma of his relationship with his father. But this makes it no less good as a film as far as I'm concerned.

There was an interesting issue of the journal 'Philosophy and Literature' devoted to Helfgott's playing in which several musicologists and philosophers of art who had heard him play discussed him. It seems his playing can vary from the inspired to the downright awful - bits left out, approximated, completely distorted in terms of dynamics and phrasing. The interesting thing is that his playing, mixed as it is, seems to communicate very deeply to a lot of people. The aesthetic problem this raises is whether they are just carried away by the sentimental hype of a damaged genius making a courageous comeback, or whether there is in fact something in Helfgott's almost childlike spontaneity and freedom (and fallibility) which is of genuine artistic value. The articles are well worth reading if you have access to a university library which carries this journal. You can see the contents here: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/philosophy_and_literature/toc/phl21.2.html

On the subject of piano films, here are a few more:

Impromptu - a very camp account of the relationship between Chopin (played by Hugh Grant!) and Liszt and their respective lovers, George Sand and the Countess d'Agoult. A lot of fun, with nice period instrument soundtrack and scenery.

Fruhlingssinfonie (Spring Symphony, in German with subtitles) - a pretty straightforward but enjoyable account of Schumann's early life, culminating in his marriage to Clara Wieck (Nastassja Kinski, no less) and the premiere of his first symphony. Wilhelm Kempff and Igo Pogorelich play on the soundtrack. My only gripe is that it implies that Schumann wrote Schubert's Lied 'Du bist die Ruh' by playing it at the wedding, which is silly considering how many beautiful Lieder Schumann was inspired to write by his love for Clara.

The Competition - about as cliched and predictable as you can get, but still entertaining, with the young Richard Dreyfus and Amy Irving as rivals in a piano competition.

Two famous piano films I have never got around to seeing yet are Ingmar Bergman's 'Autumn Sonata' and Francois Truffaut's 'Shoot the Pianist'.

I've actually SEEN Helfgott (sp?) in concert. My husband had wanted to see him after seeing the movie. I had heard how bad he was, so I was expecting it to be dreadful. Actually, that performance (which included the Rach 3), at the Hollywood Bowl, was not so bad. I was pleasantly surprised. Even the LA Times, which had joined the chorus panning him beforehand, said he gave a workmanlike performance. Nothing special, but not the worst and definitely not his worst.

BTW, most historical movies take certain liberties with the facts. That's what makes it DRAMA instead of a documentary re-enactment! I loved Amadeus and Immortal Beloved for the drama (oh, and the music!).

penny

youre lucky to have seen him!

Here is a good photo of the real David Helfgott. In this shot, he looks exactly how Geoffry Rush portrayed him in the movie.
http://www.geocities.com/laosaowan/Classical_Photo/Helfgott/Helfgot9.jpg

Zeldah

I went to the video store by my house the other day for there going out of buisness sale and I couldn't find: The Piano, Immortal Beloved, The Art of Piano, Nocturne, Song to Remember, or Five Easy Pieces. Does anyone know where I might beable to get these movies. Online prehaps or if any one lives in the Seattle area...

Wow what kind of video store did you go to?! The Piano is an extremely popular movie. =0/ Hehe, just try to get it online then. Any online movie store should have that. That's also strange that they didn't have Immortal beloved. =0/ See if they have Impromtu, a movie about Fredrick Chopin and George Sand. It's alright, I just saw it this weekend. Hugh Grant is Chopin.

Zelda: Your link does not work . Have you got any others?