Delighted to know this movie was so loved by many, however, I felt there was only one redeeming feature to this saccharinely fictional account of the great composer, and that was Luise Rainier as the composer's wife. What was Johann Jr, really like? are we ever to know, and if we can't, do we want to remember him as this simpering bandleader?
I could not see what Fernand Gravet gave to the character that Rainier worshipped so adoringly. There was no dimension to the composer -- his glorious music seems suddenly to appear from his vest pocket, despite the fact that there are a few token scenes of him sitting at the piano. He seems to play the violin quite creditably, even while he is making eyes at the coloratura blond Miliza Korjus. Other viewers felt she dominated the movie; well, yes you could say she was like a rapier-foil in personality to the velvety, even pearl-like inner radiance that characterizes Rainier's. As an opera-lover, I must still agree with the viewer who found Korju's high-pitched voice unpleasant. And the affectation of holding high notes interminably was a kind of flashy veneer that serious opera singers never needed. Add to this the rather tacky role she played in playing up to the weak-willed composer, well, I endured her appearances on the screen. She reminded me of a steely Jean Harlow, but missing the sarcastic humor.
As for Luise Rainier, she was, for me, the reason to stick to the end of the film. Rainier was like Garbo-- they both did not make many movies, but their beauty shone with a mysterious grace through even the most banal of films or situations in which they found themselves. Rainier had the ability to show vulnerability, while maintaining a sense of inner strength, especially with those large, expressive eyes. This "softness" made her a natural choice for the then-stereotype of the all-suffering wife, such as of O-lan in "The Good Earth." In "Great Waltz," she speaks with her natural Viennese accent, and is probably the only genuinely Viennese personnage in the film. She wore her gowns with a natural flair, as did, I concede, Korjus, as well.
Even the music had something that was not quite right, even though the tunes were there. If you notice the credits, you will see that the familiar waltz tunes had been re-orchestrated for the soundtrack by someone else. Did Strauss Jr, need that? The Vienna Woods scene that all of the viewers liked was for me a sadly literal translation of the components of that great waltz, and even then, it was not played in its entirety, nor in the original arrangement. I found this cavalier treatment of the music a dissappointment. At least in subsequent Hollywood films when using music of the great composers, they at least appeared to tamper less with it. "Amadeus" is an example of a more completely conceived and musically convincing composer's biography, and one leaves that movie with a genuine feeling for the gravity and grace of Mozart's compositions.
I could not see what Fernand Gravet gave to the character that Rainier worshipped so adoringly. There was no dimension to the composer -- his glorious music seems suddenly to appear from his vest pocket, despite the fact that there are a few token scenes of him sitting at the piano. He seems to play the violin quite creditably, even while he is making eyes at the coloratura blond Miliza Korjus. Other viewers felt she dominated the movie; well, yes you could say she was like a rapier-foil in personality to the velvety, even pearl-like inner radiance that characterizes Rainier's. As an opera-lover, I must still agree with the viewer who found Korju's high-pitched voice unpleasant. And the affectation of holding high notes interminably was a kind of flashy veneer that serious opera singers never needed. Add to this the rather tacky role she played in playing up to the weak-willed composer, well, I endured her appearances on the screen. She reminded me of a steely Jean Harlow, but missing the sarcastic humor.
As for Luise Rainier, she was, for me, the reason to stick to the end of the film. Rainier was like Garbo-- they both did not make many movies, but their beauty shone with a mysterious grace through even the most banal of films or situations in which they found themselves. Rainier had the ability to show vulnerability, while maintaining a sense of inner strength, especially with those large, expressive eyes. This "softness" made her a natural choice for the then-stereotype of the all-suffering wife, such as of O-lan in "The Good Earth." In "Great Waltz," she speaks with her natural Viennese accent, and is probably the only genuinely Viennese personnage in the film. She wore her gowns with a natural flair, as did, I concede, Korjus, as well.
Even the music had something that was not quite right, even though the tunes were there. If you notice the credits, you will see that the familiar waltz tunes had been re-orchestrated for the soundtrack by someone else. Did Strauss Jr, need that? The Vienna Woods scene that all of the viewers liked was for me a sadly literal translation of the components of that great waltz, and even then, it was not played in its entirety, nor in the original arrangement. I found this cavalier treatment of the music a dissappointment. At least in subsequent Hollywood films when using music of the great composers, they at least appeared to tamper less with it. "Amadeus" is an example of a more completely conceived and musically convincing composer's biography, and one leaves that movie with a genuine feeling for the gravity and grace of Mozart's compositions.