We need an epic movie like "Amadeus" for Beethoven.

"Amadeus" is such a stellar film about a stellar of a legendary composer. An absolute favorite of mine.

What I appreciate the most about it is that music is just as much as a protagonist as Mozart and Salieri. The people who wrote and made the movie had such a profound understanding of Mozart's music, and of classical music as a whole. It's a love letter to classical music. Each piece was chosen carefully to enhance the scene. Each has a purpose, a pulsating soul. Together with stunning visuals and fascinating acting (even the minor characters like Kapellmeister Giuseppe Bonno are just so memorable), it creates a continuous stream of lovely vignettes of various colors and emotions.

And the love of music is just.. infectious.. I read that the movie's original release boosted record sales of classical music in both the Eastern (notably Japan) and Western worlds. Even those who weren't educated in music fell in love with its irresistible charm.

Mozart and Beethoven are both two of my favorite composers. Beethoven being more "personal" in so many ways. I first watched "Immortal Beloved" as a kid, and was let down that it didn't evoke the same feelings "Amadeus" did. Today I've decided to give it another chance.. especially since Gary Oldman seems like such an impeccable casting choice. And he did prove himself by dedicating tremendous efforts: practicing the piano vigorously and doing enough research to get into Beethoven's psyche.

But sadly it was probably a bigger letdown the second time around.

My biggest 2 gripes:

1. Beethoven's music has taken a backseat. The movie isn't about Beethoven's music which was nothing less than revolutionary. So much so that a movie about nothing but that would be probably be days long. The filmmakers clearly wanted to follow the footsteps of "Amadeus". But instead of having meticulous choices of music that fit the scene, they shoe-horned most of Beethoven's "greatest hits" in a rather cringeworthy way. Pretty much all the pieces used were the ones you've heard countless times in a wrong setting (ads, inside an elevator, hold music). More like obligatory box-ticking than a genuine understanding of the nuances of his genius.. while Beethoven has an enormous canon of gems that is mostly uncharted territory for non-classical music listeners, music that rocks or shatters one's world. Could have been a great chance to introduce them to the public (the “Emperor” is breathtaking of course. But personally I feel like "The assassination of Richard Nixon did a better job weaving it into its emotional core) And often the music just sounded wrong. For instance, they could've synced Karl's gunshot with the background music. We never got the pleasure of peeking into Beethoven's world as a performer nor as a composer (only rather briefly as a conductor). Everything was kinda glossed over. What a waste.
2. The absurd premise of the movie. Of the infinitely fascinating things about Beethoven that could be in the movie, they chose his (fictional) love life. Beethoven's been whittled down to a caricature. And Schindler, who practically carried the whole movie, the actor of whom I regret to say is utterly uninteresting (Maestro was right, he WAS a bit of a bore lol). Lots of the acting in the movie is ham-fisted, subpar. "Amadeus" is often criticized for weaving fiction into its storyline. But it served a purpose, a powerful poetic narrative. "Immortal beloved" has so much fiction that it takes you out of the movie. There wasn't much of a decent story to begin with, fiction or not.

There are tons of smaller things but I digress. Sincerely, sincerely hope that there will be filmmakers who truly understand Beethoven and his music who will dedicate a much-needed tribute film to him.