Polonaise (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Polonaise |
| Original title | A song to remember |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1945 |
| length | 113 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Charles Vidor |
| script |
Sidney Buchman based on an original story by Ernst Marischka |
| production | Sidney Buchman Louis Edelstein for Columbia Pictures |
| music |
Miklós Rózsa Morris Stoloff |
| camera |
Tony Gaudio Allen M. Davey |
| cut | Charles Nelson |
| occupation | |
| |
Polonaise (OT: A Song to Remember ) is an American feature film that puts a fictional portrayal of the relationship between Frédéric Chopin and George Sand at the center of the plot. The main roles are played by Cornel Wilde , Merle Oberon and Paul Muni , directed by Charles Vidor . The film has also been dubbed The Triumph of the Heart .
action
The well-known music teacher Professor Joseph Elsner managed to give his student, the young Polish composer Frédéric Chopin , the chance to give a concert in Paris. For lack of money, the Chopin family cannot afford the trip and another eleven years pass before Frédéric makes the leap to France and to fame and recognition.
By Franz Liszt Chopin is with the writer George Sand published. They both fall in love. The composer's fragile health prompted George Sand to organize a longer stay in Mallorca . The mild climate is good for Chopin and he composes some of his most beautiful pieces on the island.
After their return to France, there is a dispute between Professor Elsner and George Sand about the future of Chopin. Elsner is of the opinion that a genius like Chopin has to serve the whole world and should not be tied to a single person. Chopin is convinced and together with Elsner he goes on a concert tour across Europe. His poor health takes its toll in the end and Frédéric Chopin collapses dead over his piano while he is working on a composition.
background
Biographical films about famous personalities from politics, culture and research as well as about crowned heads had become increasingly popular since the appearance of the talkies. A main characteristic was the portrayal of the conflict of the title character, whose achievements / inventions, ideas or innovations mostly received recognition only against the - at first bitter - resistance of society, which in the end is always successful. The portrayal of the individual is at the same time removed from the overall historical context and his ultimate success is presented as a destiny through irrationality.
“The biopic focuses on the fortunes of the individual and ignores historical and social relationships. The presentation of individual, clearly defined episodes about formative experiences, temporary challenges and the ultimate triumph of the individual reinforce the impression that one's own personality and one's own purpose are congruent. "
The plans for the film adaptation of Frédéric Chopin's life reached back to mid-1938. Frank Capra wrote a script and Marlene Dietrich was interviewed as George Sand. However, it was not until 1944 that the project was actually implemented. The studio decided to shoot the film in Technicolor and engaged the hitherto largely unknown Cornel Wilde for the title role of Chopin. The occupation of the disease-plagued artist of rather weak constitution with the athletic savage was pointed out by not a few critics as a certain contradiction.
During the shooting, the film had the working titles The Song That Lived Forever , At Night We Dream , Chopin and Forever and Ever, among others , before the final choice fell on A Song to Remember . The piano pieces interpreted by Cornel Wilde were recorded by José Iturbi .
In 1946 Frank Capra successfully sued the studio for a share of the profits. Capra was able to prove that he played a key role in the development of the project.
The script by Ernst Marischka used as a template was also used for the film Farewell Waltz from 1934.
criticism
"Staged and performed to attract the public, with Chopin's music not being neglected either."
In a publication by the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, Ayn Rand accused the film of implying communist and collectivist messages, since Chopin sacrificed himself for his country instead of following his own destiny and making music
Awards
The film went to the 1946 Academy Awards with six nominations , but won none of the awards:
- Best Actor: Cornel Wilde
- Best original story: Ernst Marischka
- Best Cinematography (Color): Tony Gaudio, Allen M. Davey
- Best note: John P. Livadary
- Best editing: Charles Nelson
- Best Score (Drama / Comedy): Miklós Rózsa, Morris Stoloff
Web links
- Polonaise in theInternet Movie Database(English)
- A Song to Remember at Turner Classic Movies (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ cf. fundamentally: Henry M. Taylor: role of life. The film biography as a narrative system. P. 29.
- ↑ The biopic [...] Focuses on the fortunes of an individual and ignores or obscures history and social relationships. Portraying in tightly ordered sequences the individual's formative experiences, temporary adversities, and ultimate triumph, it creates the impression that character is destiny. Paul Loukides, Linda Fuller, Beyond the Stars, p. 187.
- ↑ a b Polonaise. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed April 9, 2017 .
- ↑ Journals of Ayn Rand , Chapter 10.
- ↑ Barbara Branden : The Passion of Ayn Rand 1986, p. 199.
- ↑ Charotte B. Becker: Encyclopedia of Ethics . Taylor & Francis, 2001, ISBN 0-415-93675-6 , p. 1441.