Farinelli
Directed by:
Gérard CorbiauCinematography:
Walther Vanden EndeCast:
Stefano Dionisi, Enrico Lo Verso, Elsa Zylberstein, Caroline Cellier, Marianne Basler, Jacques Boudet, Pier Paolo Capponi, Delphine Zentout (more)Plots(1)
Set against a sumptuous world of 18th century Italian high art and music, the story deals with two brothers, Ricardo Broschi and his younger sibling, Carlo. To preserve his beautiful voice, the 7-year-old Carlo undergoes primitive surgery to become a "castrato," glorious male singers who retained the vocal purity of young boys with the power of men and the high register of a woman. Blessed with the "voice of an angel," he embarks on a glorious journey of music and passion. As a highly skilled performer with sensuously handsome looks, Farinelli quickly attains a quasi-mythical status in his own lifetime. But the jealousies caused by celebrity and the strained relationships between Farinelli and his brother as well as other artists of his time cast a shadow over Farinelli's bright existence. And so, he chooses a life of exile in Spain, thus ending one of the most illustrious--and colorful--vocal careers in history. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (3)
Farinelli was a real historical figure, a singer who had been castrated, giving his voice a colour that men are otherwise incapable of. A singer whose performances made women swoon. An extraordinary voice and an extraordinary costume drama that can only be recommended. By the way, Farinelli's voice in the film was created by digitally mixing a female and a male operatic voice to achieve the desired result.
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“Without him you nothing but... silence." Brotherly love preventing the unleashing of exceptional talent. Unrecognized genius, Georg Friedrich Händel, knows the situation well. That’s right, this has very little to do with reality. Probably about as much as Forman’s adaptation of Mozart’s life and times. Which changes nothing about the cinematic qualities of Farinelli. But this entire picture suffers rather in the shadow of Amadeus. Although Farinelli was made ten years later, it has the same template. And it still works outstandingly. Just on a slightly lower level. The reason for this is neither the screenplay, nor the actors nor production design and certainly not the music, but simply the absence of unforgettable scenes. It is “only" darn good, but it would have to be unforgettable to be an exceptional work.
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I have to admit that I enjoyed Corbiau's film The King Is Dancing a lot more, both in terms of my tastes and mood. While Farinelli is able to offer the elegance of aristocrats in period costumes, the baroque splendor of palaces, and the luxury of residences from that time, it somehow fails to offer a captivating story worthy of Forman's Amadeus. It's more of a case of aesthetic boredom that longs for some festival excitement. Fans of classical music and opera singing may give it an extra star, but I must once again mention Amadeus which managed to present classical music to today's audience much more effectively. Overall impression: 50%.
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