Strings of life
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Strings of life |
| Original title | A late quartet |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2012 |
| length | 105 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Yaron Zilberman |
| script | Yaron Zilberman, Seth Grossmann |
| production |
Vanessa Coifman , David Faigenblum , Emanuel Michael , Tamar Sela , Mandy Tagger , Yaron Zilberman |
| music | Angelo Badalamenti |
| camera | Frederick Elmes |
| cut | Yuval Shar |
| occupation | |
| |
Strings of Life (Original Title: A Late Quartet ) is an American musical film drama from 2012 based on a screenplay by Yaron Zilberman and Seth Grossman, which was produced by, who also directed, Zilberman. The film represents Zilberman's feature film debut. The leading roles are cast with Philip Seymour Hoffman , Christopher Walken , Catherine Keener and Mark Ivanir .
The original title refers to Beethoven's string quartet in C sharp minor, Op. 131 , one of the composer's last works.
action
Cellist Peter Mitchell finishes a lecture to his students in which he explained to them how to play and understand Beethoven's string quartet in C sharp minor op. 131, in TS Eliot's words: “The present and the past - both may be present in the future, and the future is already contained in the past. When all time is eternally present, all time is ineradicable. Or let's say the end precedes the beginning, and the end and the beginning were always there - before the beginning and after the end - and everything is always now. "
Mitchell is the head of the string quartet "The Fugue String Quartet", which is approaching the 25th anniversary of its existence. Having noticed disturbing changes in himself, he looks for the doctor Dr. Nadir, who prepares him so that all symptoms indicate that he has Parkinson's , which the tests then confirm.
When Mitchell told the members of his quartet, the violist Juliette Gelbart, the second violinist Robert and the first violinist Daniel Lerner, tensions that had been simmering for some time led to fundamental discussions about the future of the music ensemble . Peter makes it clear that he only intends to play one concert that will also be his farewell concert. Juliette is thinking of stopping when Peter is no longer there. Her husband, the second violinist Robert, who is dissatisfied with his role in the quartet, declares that he is entitled to take turns playing first violin with Daniel, which Daniel refuses. When Juliette takes Daniel's side, Roberts' deep disappointment escalates into an argument that leads him to take refuge in a flamenco bar. At the end of the night there is a one-night stand with the dancer Pilar, with whom Robert often jogs and can talk well.
When Juliette realizes that her husband has cheated on her, she expels him from the apartment. She ignores his assurance that she means more to him than anything else in the world, as well as his remark that she has hurt him very much by saying that he is only good enough for second fiddle. When Robert later tries to force another conversation with Juliette, she rejects him again. After 25 years together you have to fight for a relationship; he always loved her unconditionally, how about her, Robert wants to know. Juliette owes him the answer.
At the same time Daniel is on the road with Alexandra, Roberts and Juliette's daughter. He tells her that he never wants to swap places with a soloist because working in a quartet is the only way to work out meaningful interpretations. When the greatest composers wanted to express their deepest thoughts, their feelings, when they dig deep into their souls, they always do it in this form - always with a quartet, if they are brave enough for it. Alexandra kisses him then without him returning the kiss. It wasn't until some time later that they both enter into a relationship. Alexandra is a highly talented young violinist who is convinced that as a child she always had to take a back seat to music.
There is another argument between Daniel and Robert. Robert blames Daniel for annoying the way he plays. It contributes to the fact that people play the same way over and over again, there is something monotonous and static about his game. He should also play without a sheet of music, allow passion. Daniel is visibly affected by this statement.
After the medication that Peter is now taking has hit, preparations can be made for the last concert to be held in the concert hall of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art . Discrepancies arise again during the joint rehearsal. When Peter's request comes up that Daniel is sleeping with the Gelbarts' daughter, there are even fights. Peter asks Daniel to end this relationship immediately, which Daniel does not want; then Peter says he has learned nothing from their collaboration. Shortly afterwards, Alexandra Daniel explains that it is over between them, because she cannot take it upon herself to destroy “The Fugues”.
The day of the last appearance is coming up. The four play Beethoven's String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131 furiously and with great devotion in front of a sold out house, until Peter breaks off shortly before the last movement and puts his instrument to one side. He steps in front of the audience and explains that the composition, which consists of seven movements, has to be played through without a break, which is too much for him. Nina Lee, his desired successor, will replace him tonight and hopefully for a much longer time. It is time for him to say goodbye to his audience. The audience rise from their seats and express their respect with long applause, while the musicians have tears in their eyes. One after the other, all four slam their sheet music and play the 7th and last movement of the string quartet. Peter follows her performance in the auditorium, where he has taken a seat next to Alexandra.
Production, background, publication
It is a film by RKO Pictures / Opening Night Productions. The film was shot at the Metropolitan Museum of Art , the Time Warner Center and Central Park in Manhattan , New York . Further recordings were made on Bow Bridge and in New York itself.
According to Beethoven, his composition should be played attacca, i.e. all seven movements without a break. They therefore place the highest demands on performers and audiences alike. The instruments actually require readjustment and readjustment in between. The strings sound different at the end than at the beginning of the work, so they are not just literally “out of tune”. That is how the composer decided. Richard Wagner once remarked on Op. 131 of his now almost deaf colleague, it was "the dance of the world itself: wild lust, painful lamentation, delight in love, supreme bliss, woe, rush, lust and suffering". In the film, Daniel Lerner admonishes the violinist Alexandra Gelbart, whom he teaches, to try to empathize with Beethoven. At least she should read his biography, because then she would know that his father had woken him up in the middle of the night so that he could play something for his drunk buddies. It left scars on the soul.
The film opened in the USA on November 2, 2012 and in Germany on May 2, 2013. At the cinema release in Germany, the announcement read: “A cinematic pearl with the Oscar winners Philip Seymour Hoffman and Christopher Walken”.
The film was first shown on September 10, 2012 at the Toronto International Film Festival and was screened on October 4, 2012 at the Edmonton International Film Festival. On October 5, 2012 he was represented at the Hamptons International Film Festival and on October 21, 2012 at the Austin Film Festival as well as on November 1, 2012 at the Starz Denver Film Festival and on November 9, 2012 at the St. Louis International Film Festival. It was released in Canadian cinemas on November 23, 2012, and was released in Israel on November 29, 2012. In the USA it was released on February 5, 2013 as Blu-ray. It started in Iceland on February 15, 2013, in Australia on March 14, 2013 and in the Netherlands on March 28, 2013. It also started in 2013 in the following countries: United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Taiwan, France (on the Champs-Elysées Film Festival), Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Belgium, South Korea, Turkey, Spain, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands (Film by the Sea Film Festival), Portugal, Argentina, Denmark, Finland, Sweden ( Premiere as DVD), Brazil, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Russia and Slovenia.
- DVD
Senator Home Entertainment (distributed by Universum Film) released the film on September 13, 2013 with a German soundtrack on both DVD and Blu-ray.
Soundtrack
Beethoven dedicated this string quartet to Baron Joseph von Stutterheim . He composed it about nine months before his death. It is interpreted in the film by the Brentano String Quartet :
| No. | title |
|---|---|
| 1. | Beethoven: Beethoven's String Quartet # 14 In C-Sharp Minor, OP.131 - Adagio, Ma Non Troppo E Molto Espressivo (Live At Princeton / 2010) |
| 2. | Beethoven: Beethoven's String Quartet # 14 In C-Sharp Minor, OP.131 - Allegro Molto Vivace (Live At Princeton / 2010) |
| 3. | Beethoven: Beethoven's String Quartet # 14 In C-Sharp Minor, OP.131 - Allegro Moderato (Live At Princeton / 2010) |
| 4th | Beethoven: Beethoven's String Quartet # 14 In C-Sharp Minor, OP.131 - Andante, Ma Non Troppo e Molto Cantabile (Live At Princeton / 2010) |
| 5. | Beethoven: Beethoven's String Quartet # 14 In C-Sharp Minor, OP.131 - Presto (Live At Princeton / 2010) |
| 6th | Beethoven: Beethoven's String Quartet # 14 In C-Sharp Minor, OP.131 - Adagio, Quasi Un Poco Andante (Live At Princeton / 2010) |
| 7th | Beethoven: Beethoven's String Quartet # 14 In C-Sharp Minor, OP.131 - Allegro (Live At Princeton / 2010) |
more music in the film
| No. | Title, composer, lecturer |
|---|---|
| 1. | Quartet in F-minor op.20/5 - Joseph Haydn - Brentano String Quartet |
| 2. | City Nights - Uri Caine - Courtesy of Uri Caine Music Publishing |
| 3. | Bulerias Del Encuentro - Cristian Puig - Christian Puig and Rebeca Tomas |
| 4th | Gypsy Airs, Op. 20 - Pablo de Sarasate - Mark Steinberg |
| 5. | Salty Air - Jonathan Dagan - Courtesy of j-viewz |
| 6th | Cello Suite No. 4, Prelude and Allemande - Johann Sebastian Bach - Nina Lee |
| 7th | On the beautiful blue Danube (main topic) - Johann Strauss (son) - Mark Steinberg |
| 8th. | “Marietta's Song” from Die tote Stadt - Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Anne Sofie von Otter Bengt Forsberg: Piano; Kjell Lysell and Ulf Forsberg: violin; Mats Lidström: cello; Nils-Erik Sparf: Viola |
Interpreted by Angelo Badalamenti :
| No. | title |
|---|---|
| 1. | A Late Quartet - Overture |
| 2. | Movements |
| 3. | Diagnosis |
| 4th | Reflections |
| 5. | A Jog In The Park |
| 6th | Stop right here |
| 7th | 11:42 PM |
| 8th. | Premonition |
| 9. | Winter love |
| 10. | Eternal Quest |
| 11. | Old Men Know |
| 12. | Breaking up |
| 13. | Fire Escape |
| 14th | Longing For Miriam |
| 15th | A Late Quartet - Bidding Farewell |
criticism
The film received consistently positive reviews in the US feature pages, with the work of the cameraman Frederick Elmes being particularly praised.
"The masterful acting performance is highly emotional!" It said in Rolling Stone magazine . For TV Movie the film was “Top cast and full of emotion.” The GQ - Gentlemen's Quarterly spoke of an “exciting chamber play. Intellectual, dense, with a lot of New York ”. TV Digital said: "Great performers and beautiful music" and Super TV said it was "a real pleasure to watch this top ensemble". In the Stern one could read: "Great actors perform Beethoven: the grandiose drama 'Strings of Life'."
Spiegel Online was of the opinion: “Noble art is one thing. All too often the normal jealousies of everyday life are hidden behind this - as the cinematic melodrama 'Strings of Life' is now using the example of a string quartet. "
For Die Welt , the film presented itself as “a well-composed ensemble piece with calm passages and brief emotional outbursts”. “The idea of a quartet can be transferred to the actors, everyone is great on their own and works perfectly together”.
The Abendzeitung München turned to Walken and Seymour and wrote: "With Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the film 'The Strings of Life' achieves a fascinating density of music, the psychogram of a string quartet and questions of life."
“Strings of Life is [...] a wonderful ensemble piece with a double character. Backgrounds, questions and structures of the music radiate into the lives of the musicians and at the same time ground the structure, the logic of the film itself. There must be no pause between the seven movements of the quartet. Beethoven himself has forbidden that. "
“The actors don't always succeed in refining Zilberman's obvious and overemphasized analogies between art and life, the film is too hard-working and monotonously staged for that. But if they manage, then 'Strings of Life' gets something from an inspired interpretation of a much-heard piece of music: new and familiar at the same time. "
epd Film was of the opinion that Zilberman had made “a calm, reserved, but also strangely beautiful film in important passages”, “which recaptured a niche between blockbuster madness and arthouse frippery.” It was “not just a film for a more mature audience interested in classical music ”. Finally it was said: "Because behind the calm facade of Yaron Zilberman's reflection on the turbulence in a string quartet hide a melancholy comedy and wild rock 'n' roll."
Cinema spoke of the fact that Zilberman's staging began "cautiously" and "in the course of the action kept switching between quiet and spirited passages". "The fact that there are no discrepancies in the process is also thanks to his confident ensemble." Conclusion: "The delicate chamber playing reveals Christopher Walken's sensitive string".
Maximilian Schröter from filmszene.de concluded his review with the conclusion: “At the end of the film, not everything is okay, but a lot is possible. After the moving final scenes, you automatically think more about the characters and the consequences of their actions, and that's actually one of the nicest compliments you can give a film: that its story doesn't end on the screen, but continues in the mind of the viewer. "
Award
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards 2013
- Nominated in the “Best Supporting Actress” category: Catherine Keener
Web links
- A Late Quartet in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Strings of Life Page to the film (with trailer) at wildbunch-germany.de
- Cate Marquis: Israeli-American director Yaron Zilberman discusses 'A Late Quartet'. In: Saint Louis Jewish Light. November 21, 2012.
- Movie poster on filmposter-archiv.de
- Strings of Life In: dubbing files, dubbing company Christa Kistner Synchronproduktion GmbH, Potsdam, dialogue book: Hilke Flickenschildt, dialogue director: Erik Paulsen
Individual evidence
- ↑ Certificate of Release for Strings of Life . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , April 2013 (PDF; test number: 138 281 K).
- ↑ Martin Wolf: In the feature film “Strings of Life”, four classical musicians argue about art and love. In: Der Spiegel , April 29, 2013. Accessed November 7, 2016.
- ↑ a b c d e Strings of Life DVD / Blu-ray at jpc.de
- ↑ Philip French: A Late-quartet Review. The Guardian. April 7, 2013, accessed January 24, 2016.
- ↑ A Late Quartet reviews at Rotten Tomatoes (English)
- ↑ Lukas Stern: Strings of Life. critic.de - the film page, April 23, 2013, accessed on May 12, 2013 .
- ↑ Andreas Staben: Strings of Life at filmstarts.de. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ↑ Critique of 'Strings of Life' at epd-film.de. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ↑ Strings of Life at cinema.de (with 21 pictures of the film)
- ↑ Strings of Life at filmszene.de. Retrieved November 7, 2016.