Eroica (2003) (TV)

Director:

Simon Cellan Jones

Writer:

Nick Dear (writer)

Release Date:

4 October 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Cast

Ian Hart	...	Ludwig van Beethoven
Jack Davenport	...	Prince Lobkowitz
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Count Dietrichstein
Anton Lesser	...	Sukowaty
Frank Finlay	...	Josef Haydn
Claire Skinner	...	Josephine Deym nee Brunsvik
Lucy Akhurst	...	Therese Brunsvik
Fenella Woolgar	...	Princess Lobkowitz
Leo Bill	...	Reis
Trevor Cooper	...	Otto Fisher
Victoria Shalet	...	Kirsten
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jonathan Aris	...	Paul Dorfmueller
Robert Glenister	...	Gerhardt
Joseph Morgan	...	Matthias
Piers Stubbs	...	Voice-2003

Runtime:

UK:129 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Chiswick House, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The white muslin dress with yellow overdress worn by the farmhouse servant is the same costume Kate Winslet (Marianne Dashwood) wears during the picnic scene in Sense and Sensibility (1995), and Michelle Ryan wears during the scene in which Sir Thomas asks Maria if she wants to marry Mr. Rushworth in Mansfield Park (2007) (TV).

Goofs:

Factual errors: Beethoven's assistant was Ferdinand Ries, pronounced "Reese." They name was pronounced correctly in the film but incorrectly spelled "Reis" in the film credits. It was Ries himself who told the story of his incorrectly thinking the horn player came in early.

An intimate look at pre-modern music, in post-modern style

I stumbled across this film being played on television. I figured that the TV guide had misspelled "Erotica", but as it turns out this is very much a G-Rated picture. It's almost a biopic, a bit more than a lengthy music video. It's an afternoon in the life of Ludwig von Beethoven, set to the music of his third symphony.

The events of Beethoven's life seem compressed and shoveled into the 90 minutes of the film. We see how he deals with large issues like Napeoleonic politics, patronage, love, and hearing loss, as well as smaller issues like arranging music and the most efficient means of belittling his assistant.

What I found fascinating was being able to see how the characters of the period responded to the music as it was being played. I have a distant knowledge of Beethoven's works, and while they are certainly powerful and turbulent, I lack the context of the music of the era. Seeing the patrons react to various passages of the music (which to my untrained ear just sounds pretty) and hearing them comment on the work as it progressed was for me highly illuminating.

What a thrill it would be to be able to walk around an orchestra as it plays! That would be the ultimate in surround sound! I was jealous of the characters as they mingled around the players, who from what I can tell were using period-correct instruments.