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Released by: MGM Limited Edition Collection
Released on: October 12, 2011.
Director: Ken Russell
Cast: Richard Chamberlain, Glenda Jackson, Christopher Gable
Year: 1970
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The Movie:
Ken Russell's fever dream take on the life and times of the late, great Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky stars Richard Chamberlain (in a part originally offered by Russell to Alan Bates) in the lead of the brilliant but trouble composer and Glenda Jackson as his sex crazed lover, Nina (known to the world under her more formal name, Antonina Miliukova). When the film begins, Tchaikovsky is starting to come to quite a bit of local acclaim for his work but still working as a piano teacher. As his star rises he marries her, but as it turns out he's struggling with his own repressed homosexuality and unfortunately can't satisfy her, she being in Russell's own words, a nymphomaniac and we also learn of his obsession with an acquaintance of his, Madame Nadedja von Meck (Izabella Telezynska). All of this drama and turmoil affects the composer and his work, and it all leads up to his final symphony, The Pathétique.
Russell's extravagant retelling of Tchaikovsky's life may be more of an interpretation than a literal biography but that doesn't diminish its value one iota. The facts as they are presented here seem, by all accounts, to be pretty accurate as far as how the man lived and how he lead his personal life, and of course as all of this took place in the mid 1800s the story is going to have to fill in certain blanks. It does that way, doing a great job of setting up the central characters of Tchaikovsky and Nina and allowing the two perfectly cast leads to make the most of their respective roles and really deliver some impressive and dedicated performances. Jackson in particular really steals the show, her character going through a remarkable evolution as the movie plays out, contrasting interestingly with Chamberlain's stuffed shirt portrayal.
The film moves at an interesting pace, using periodic dream sequences and point of view shots to pull us into Tchaikovsky's world and let us get a feel for what he's experiencing. He's obviously troubled by his feelings for another man as he knows he'll basically be ostracized from the society now accepting him for admitting to such feelings. Putting just as much pressure on him is his wife, a beautiful and insatiable woman that, on the outside at least, would seem to be quite a catch. Russell uses some interesting surrealist touches throughout the movie and shows that sometimes over the top artistic flair that he's become known for and which make his films as unusually compelling as they tend to be.
Also noteworthy are the ways in which Russell blends sound and vision in this film. The opening sequence in which we see members of an audience literally getting lost in the man's compositions do a great job of capturing the intense romanticism that the best classical music can inspire, while setting the stage for things to come later in the film and offering the director a chance to delve into less conventional territory. This use of music and carefully put together visual compositions continues to build throughout the movie, taking us all the way through his eventual slip from sanity and self control. Without wanting to spoil it, the most obvious example, however, is the grand finale in which the 1812 Overture is used overtop of some ridiculous visuals that are somehow completely appropriate and horribly inappropriate at the same time and pretty much instantly identifiable as Russell's handiwork.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The Music Lovers looks pretty good in this 2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen presentation. There's some minor print damage here and there in the form of the occasional speck but nothing too serious. Grain is present, as it should be, but never distractingly so and colors look nice and natural. Detail isn't bad at all and skin tones look good. Some scenes are a little soft and there are a couple of minor compression artifacts noticeable in some of the darker scenes but otherwise the movie looks very good here.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 mix on the DVD-R is fine, if not as full as you might hope for given the amount of music used in the movie. Overall though it sounds good, there are no problems with hiss or distortion and the levels are well balanced. Dialogue is clear and easy to follow and this is problem free, even if it would have been nice had the music had just a bit more punch behind it.
Extras are limited to the standard MGM Limited Edition menu and chapter stops and the film's original theatrical trailer.
The Final Word:
Russell fans are no doubt going to be irked that this didn't get any attention in the extras department, and there's no question that the movie deserved more than just a trailer. With that said, MOD or not, MGM's transfer for The Music Lovers is a good one and it's great to have Russell's ode to Tchaikovsky available in this nice looking edition. The movie itself is great, it's romantic and feverish and horrifying and wonderful all at the same time and is absolutely worth seeing.
