Louis van Beethoven (2020 movie)
Louis van Beethoven is a biographical movie that came out for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. The movie shows the story of the world-famous composer from different perspectives. The title shows the name that was used in his youth.[1]
| Louis van Beethoven | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Niki Stein |
| Produced by | Ernst Ludwig Ganzert |
| Written by | Niki Stein |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Arthur W. Ahrweiler |
| Edited by | Jan Henrik Pusch |
| Distributed by | Degeto, WDR, ORF |
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | Germany, Czech Republic, Austria |
| Language | German |
Plot
The movie moves back and forth between Beethoven’s final year and his early life in Bonn. The Beethoven we meet as an adult (played by Tobias Moretti) has long been deaf. He has come to his brother Johann’s home in Gneixendorf along with their nephew Karl (Peter Lewys Preston) after Karl’s attempted suicide. There Louis is in constant battle with everyone around him. This is the background that leads to memories of his earlier life.
As a child in Bonn, Louis (Colin Pütz) was a musical prodigy. He is pushed by his father, who has dreams of him being a new Mozart. Through his father’s connections as a singer in the court of the Elector, the young Beethoven comes under the supervision of other musicians. He also comes in contact with Tobias Pfeiffer (Sabin Tambrea), a local actor who rooms with the family.
As he becomes a young man, Louis (Anselm Bresgott) continues to grow as a musician. He also suffers the loss of his mother, which sends his father into grief and alcoholism. He comes under the patronage of the von Breuning family and falls in love with Eleonore von Breuning (Caroline Hellwig). But he is below the family’s social station and any match between them is forbidden. To recreate the atmosphere of Beethoven’s era, it was decided to use a few replicas of period instruments made by a modern piano maker Paul McNulty.
References
- ↑ "Review: Handsomely-mounted 'Louis Van Beethoven' is bum-bum-humdrum". Los Angeles Times. 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
Other websites
- Movie page on IMDB: Louis van Beethoven (Niki Stein)
- Movie page on Rotten Tomatoes: Louis van Beethoven
- Review on Classic FM: ‘Louis van Beethoven’: watch trailer for new film exploring Ludwig’s life
- Neely Swanson's review on Easy Reader: Louis van Beethoven — a symphony
- Roger Moore's review: Before he was "Lovely Ludwig van" he was "Louis van Beethoven"