This frenchified film was made before the excellent "J'Accuse!", recently commented upon by this German Count in his modern diary; it is another great example of the use and innovation of film grammar and cinematographic technique by Herr Gance. This oeuvre is full of suggestions, allegories and flashbacks that improve the film in a prodigious way.
"La Dixième Symphonie" is the story of the obscure past and an uncertain future that is the lot of the heroine of the film. She is married to a composer, an admirer of the German Herr Beethoven's musical compositions (a token of his good taste, certainly). This composer misunderstands a tragic event in his wife's past, an event which comes back to torment all of them when the composer's daughter gets engaged. The knowledge the composer gains of his wife's sad experience becomes the inspiration for his new musical work. This makes the film an interesting meditation about art as catharsis and the thought that every artistic creation springs from the creator's special experiences. These real life episodes may be reflected in different artistic shows as music, literature or even non-stop Teutonic operas.
A special score was composed for the film in order to emphasize the story. Besides the score, Herr Gance use evocative shots of a dancer dancing in romantic landscapes while the composer struggles to make art out of his marital sufferings, another example of the originality and newness of Herr Gance film technique. "La Dixième Symphonie" is the confirmation of the French film director's creative genius, making him an unquestionable pioneer in film history
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must attend a musical soirée in which will be performed a musical score created by a countryman of this Teutonic aristocrat, Herr Ludwig van ( not Von like this German Count ) Beethoven's Ninth symphony ( not Tenth per that frenchified film director ).
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/