Amazon.com: Fifteen years after directing the florid and commercially successful Chopin bio-pic, the 1945 A Song to Remember, director Charles Vidor headed up this lush, Technicolor production about Franz Liszt--only to die a few weeks into shooting and be replaced by George Cukor. (Cukor insisted the credit remain with Vidor, and indeed there is little of Cukor's touch visible in this film.) Song Without End stars Dirk Bogarde as Liszt, and while the actor's stints at the piano are effectively dubbed by Jorge Boyet, the story really concerns the composer's entangled love life. Much, much less flamboyant than Ken Russell's Lisztomania, Song Without End is, in its own way, just as indulgent, extravagantly presuming that love is the major inspiration for the creation of music. No film about a composer would be complete without a few of his famous contemporaries, and Song Without End makes a point of bringing George Sand and Chopin himself to the proceedings. The sets are impressive, and the cinematography is by James Wong Howe. --Tom Keogh
Transfer to Video and DVD quite imperfect I was really impressed with all the reports I have read on Song Without End. I notice it is not being offered on DVD at present. But I did buy it on Video originally and when I saw I could get it on DVD; a while back I thought it might have improved in quality of sound. Alas; the DVD has the same faults as the Video so obviously no technical re recording was attempted. I am not very versed in the history of Lizst and his affairs and the ones with whom he had his affairs. I mainly was disappointed at some of the technical flaws in the Movie BOTH on Video and then again on DVD. While I realize the Movie was originally probably made on 35 mm for Cinema showing..I want other viewers to look at it again and see the number of places where the sound is quite poor. 1. In One or two of the concerts Lizst's playing is really beautiful. BUT when the audience applauds him it is like the applause is off some where in another room. Notice the variation in sound. 2. When Lizst visits his Mother the first time notice when Lizst speaks the sound is perfect but when his mother speaks it is like she is off some place else. I found it to be the same on both Video and DVD so I have no doubt that no effort was made in transferring from Tape to DVD to enhance some of the troublesome spots where sound failed. I wish I was more up on the truth of the real Lizst as some other writers were but as far as the technical side of the Movie I was disappointed in several areas.
If only the song WOULD end... Get this straight before coming any closer: this is NOT a documentary on Franz Liszt. The Hollywood goons must have been flipping through a book of musicians' biographies (ooh! tormented, soul-searching MUSICIANS!), incidentally stumbling onto Liszt's particularly marketable name. Knowing professionals respect the name, aware that the revolutionary pianist-composer's profound contributions to 19th century music are to be taken seriously. The aforementioned goons, however, took their cue from some funny sentences about Marie D'Agoult, Carolyne Wittgenstein, George Sand, and a few other candidates for good close-ups. (What's this? Liszt had affairs with... oh, mhm... I'll write that down, and we can just...) Disregarding the consideration for extensive research, these very goons thereby set out to leave a greasy, black stain on one of history's great legacies. Liszt is portrayed as a silly, red-faced, chortling British man, with short wavy hair, a dogged disposition, and --most importantly of all-- a lusty appetite for the prettified, warbling, melodramatic Russian Princess. In reality, Carolyne Wittgenstein was a sloppy, chain-smoking, obsessive woman, but Hollywood would have none of that. (Oh, sure! we'll just leave out this, and we can pretend that she...) Other goodies are thrown in; Countess D'Agoult glares teary-eyed at us from around every corner; near the beginning of the movie, Chopin, made into a cherubic bon vivant, drops in to see his ol' pals, bringing with him George Sand, who appears to be wearing a magician's outfit- tophat, cape, and all; with them, and to remain a nuisance for the rest of the film, is plump, stupid "Votan", Liszt's "eternally devoted manager"; Liszt's crone mother hobbles around in a dim hut, offering her piano to a mob of torch-wielding Hungarian peasants. It goes on... the story of Liszt's concert career is all the time exploited, to show off the makeup and comstumes, with a soundtrack that is bittersweet at best; Jorge Bolet provided the piano solo work, the 'sweet' part of the equation. The 'bitter' shows up in ridiculously orchestrated bits of Liszt's popular stuff: "Un Sospiro", "Libestraume", etc. Not only does the (originally great) music take a turn for the worse... The acting is laughable, the casting abominable, the script methodically crafted to cram in as much disgusting sentimentality as possible.
STAY AWAY FROM IT!
A Perfect Time Killer I have gone through this film twice and still find this interesting.
This is not a documentary and as such don't expect too much depth or insight from this portrayal of Liszt, or else most of audience might be bored to death. Who cares about his study with Czerny or his religious faith in such a film anyway?
Instead, we have quite a lot of romances with pretty faces, elegant dresses and magnificent palaces. There was even a brief mention about Chopin and Wagner in the background. Visual effect was excellent and even the actor on the piano was so remarkable.
I'm not too sure though if Boglet would suit the taste of all piano lovers, probably not: Liszt is Liszt, who can compare with him when even Anton Rubinstein wanted to be his pupil. But for the general audience, it's just marvelous. The sound is wonderful too, not just the music,the dialoges too.
The plot was forceful and the rhythm fast and there is not a single scene that is boring. The result: one could easily sit still in front of it for the whole length of 130 minutes and for twice.
Highly recommended.
A Perfect Time Killer I have gone through this film twice and still find this interesting.
This is not a documentary and as such don't expect too much depth or insight from this portrayal of Liszt, or else most of audience might be bored to death. Who cares about his study with Czerny or his religious faith in such a film anyway?
Instead, we have quite a lot of romances with pretty faces, elegant dresses and magnificent palaces. There was even a brief mention about Chopin and Wagner in the background. Visual effect was excellent and even the actor on the piano was so remarkable.
I'm not too sure though if Boglet would suit the taste of all piano lovers, probably not: Liszt is Liszt, who can compare with him when even Anton Rubinstein wanted to be his pupil. But for the general audience, it's just marvelous. The sound is wonderful too, not just the music,the dialoges too.
The plot was forceful and the rhythm fast and there is not a single scene that is boring. The result: one could easily sit still in front of it for the whole length of 130 minutes and for twice.
Highly recommended.
Dazzling Piano I fell in love with Dirk Bogarde in "The Night Porter". I was fascinated by his acting, his expressions that revealed a dark, intrinsic tortured soul. With this film, I discovered another Dirk Bogarde, younger and handsome, lively and passionate. I grew tired of Liszt, but this film, with the superb piano sound, played by young Jorge Bolet, has renewed my interest for the composer. The most enjoyable moments for me watching this film is obviously Bogarde's acting as a pianist. There are many piano recital scenes that made me realize how difficult it is to play Liszt's compositions. Bogarde is equally moving and impressive as a pianist. He is irrefutably one of the most intricate actors I have ever seen.
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