This week a new independent film hits a limited number of theaters nation-wide titled “Copying Beethoven.”
Agnieszka Holland (“The Secret Garden”) helms this semi-biographical foray into Ludwig van Beethoven’s life. It stars seasoned veteran Ed Harris (“A History of Violence”) as the illustrious deaf composer and Diane Kruger (“National Treasure” and “Troy”) as a student copyist sent to help him finish his 9th Symphony.
This fictionalized account takes place in the last year of the master composer’s life. Beethoven is coming off of a dry spell of work and is racing to finish his new symphony in time for the first rehearsal. His usual copyist, who recopies and interprets his manuscript for the orchestra, is a sick man. He finds Beethoven a replacement in a young student named Anna Holtz (Kruger).
At first, Beethoven is not happy to have a woman helping him finish the work, but gives in due to the time constraint he is under. At one point she has the audacity to correct his work, which leads him to believe that she understands his work like no one else. He begins to trust her implicitly. She even helps him to conduct the orchestra because he can no longer keep tempo due to his deafness.
Harris once again gives a rock solid performance in his portrayal of the volatile composer. His depth and chemistry with Kruger help carry this unexceptional film. Theirs is a complicated relationship. Sometimes it seems like a father and daughter, while other times when engaged in the music it’s as if they are lovers.
Holland gallantly tries to use the camera as a means to reflect and magnify the relationship of the characters to each other and the music, but almost to a fault.
It becomes distracting when there are a lot of tight close-ups, quick jarring movements and a zoom in of Beethoven mooning Anna. I felt nausea brought on in the likes of “The Blair Witch Project” when the camera was constantly moving. I found myself having to look away from the screen during a few scenes.
There were a few great moments that Holland does nail.
One of which is when he’s conducting his ninth symphony. Since he has gone deaf, he needs help conducting and she helps him through it to keep the beat.
Anna feels Beethoven’s soul come alive in the work. They are practically making love through the music as Holland focuses on them engrossed in the moment. But, it gets ruined when toward the end of the piece the shaking of the camera comes back. Instead of emphasizing the moment it makes you disengage from it.
Toward the end of the film, Beethoven uses Anna to help him write a hymn since he’s too weak to work. To her disbelief, he wants to write in no key. This idea sums up the film itself.
While it is an interesting notion not to be tied to traditional forms of dramatic storytelling, Holland is no Beethoven and can’t quite pull it off.
