I wrestled with the rating because there is much to dislike about Immortal Beloved. However there is also much to like, among which are Beethoven's music, the plot twist which I felt worked well, and set design. The highs are very high. Oldham may not have nailed the great composer but he is a reasonable representation and the director's method of presenting his affliction is poignant.
To the negative the film is a bit clunky, continuity seems just a bit off, and some scenes could have been omitted or edited to speed things up. Beloved is not a character study as everyone is pretty much a caricature. It is a mystery and as such works pretty well even though the basic plot might have been written to the lives of less formidable personages without changing the real story. Beethoven's involvement provided additional depth and interest but no more sense of tragedy, and ham handed direction/editing watered down the impact even then.
That said, I'm glad I saw it and would recommend to anyone who doesn't mind considerable artistic license being taken with the life of Ludwig Van.
To the negative the film is a bit clunky, continuity seems just a bit off, and some scenes could have been omitted or edited to speed things up. Beloved is not a character study as everyone is pretty much a caricature. It is a mystery and as such works pretty well even though the basic plot might have been written to the lives of less formidable personages without changing the real story. Beethoven's involvement provided additional depth and interest but no more sense of tragedy, and ham handed direction/editing watered down the impact even then.
That said, I'm glad I saw it and would recommend to anyone who doesn't mind considerable artistic license being taken with the life of Ludwig Van.