Copying Beethoven

Many critics have not been kind to Agnieszka Holland's new film Copying Beethoven. And after seeing the film I wonder what their problem is. This fictionalized story of Ludwig van Beethoven's last years is really fascinating.

The tale centers around Beethoven's Ninth Symphony which is probably the greatest piece of classical music ever written. With only days to go before the premiere of the piece Beethoven (Ed Harris) is running into trouble and desperately needs someone to copy his work. His associate Wenzel Schlemmer (Ralph Riach) has hired the best student from the music school in Vienna to help the mad genius. The only problem is the person that the school has sent is a woman named Anna Holtz (Diane Kruger). In those days women did not copy for composers. But after a bit of time Beethoven warms up to her and she becomes indispensable to him. During the premiere performance of his symphony she helps him conduct the orchestra (this is because he is deaf).

Beethoven is a sad and lonely man. He loves his nephew Karl (Joe Anderson) but gets very little love in return. And Anna has conflicts of her own. She lives in a convent with her aunt who is a nun (Phylliada Law) but has no desire to become one. She also has a suitor in Martin Bauer (Matthew Goode) who is an engineer but seems to keep him at a distance.

Holland does a wonderful job directing this film. I love the feminist thread that runs through it.
The screenplay written by Stephen J. Rivelle and Christopher Wilkinson is not only interesting but very witty as well. Harris is terrific in his embodiment of Beethoven. You can see how tortured this man really is. And Kruger holds her own as Anna. The cinematography by Ashely Rowe is beautiful as it captures old Vienna in all of its glory. And then there is the music! What can I say about that?! It is amazing. I left the theater humming the Ninth. So forget about the critics and see this film. After all, aren't we all critics in our own right?