Review of Farinelli

Farinelli (1994)
9/10
Music for the castrated generation
20 November 2003
The first time I watched this film the subtitles didn´t work, but I was

still hooked on its beauty and emotion. After a proper viewing I

went straight out and bought the soundtrack - and I´m totally not

into opera. The scene where Farinelli sings Händel sent such

huge shivers down my spine and tears down my face.

The story itself may not be entirely historically correct (when was

ever filmmaking all about facts and figures?), but the tale about

Farinelli is captivating to say the least. The castrato singers were

both worshipped and shunned by society, loved for their heavenly

voices and scorned for their lost manhood.

Michael Jackson is the obvious modern day comparison, but I´d

say that´s not fair to Farinelli. Check out this film, enjoy the music,

and learn that extreme celebrity is not a new thing!
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