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The Red Violin

7.0

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Original title

Le Violon rouge (The Red Violin)

Year

1998

Running time

130 min.

Country

Canada

Director

François Girard

Screenwriter

Don McKellar, François Girard

Cast

Music

John Corigliano

Cinematography

Alain Dostie

Producer

New Line Cinema, Film4 Productions, Téléfilm Canada, Rhombus Media, Sony Pictures Classics, Red Violin Productions Ltd.

Genre

Drama. Mystery | 17th Century. Music

Synopsis

This fictional movie, using flashbacks, spans over four centuries from the late 17th century to the end of the 20th century. It also spans three continents, Europe, Asia and North America. It follows the story of the famous, mysterious, haunting, mesmerizing, "Red Violin" (as told from the perspective of a sooth sayer from Cremona, Italy, Cesca) from the time it is made by famous Northern Italian violin maker, Nicolo Bussotti to it's experience in a monastery, the late 18th century Vienna, Austria to the possession of it by gypsies to late 19th century Oxford, England to China during the height of the Chinese Revolution in the 1960's (where it almost is lost) until it's discovery near the end of the 20th Century.

Rankings Position

#16 Best Canadian Movies of all time

Awards: 1999: Oscar: Best Original Soundtrack

1999: Nominated for Golden Globe: Best Foreign Language Picture

1998: Genie Awards: Best Canadian Feature

1999: Chicago Film Critics Awards: Nominated for Best Original Score

1999: Satellite Awards: 3 nominations

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Critics' reviews

"While it's possible to view this movie like a short-story collection (...) to do so would deny the pleasure of experiencing this beautifully crafted, intricately designed story the way it was intended"

Los Angeles Times
"There really is a little something here for everyone: music and culture, politics and passion, crime and intrigue, history and even the backstage intrigue of the auction business"

Roger Ebert: Chicago Sun-Times
"Wants to make a grand statement about the mystical power of great music. But give or take some scattered musical moments, the frame in which that message is couched is too kitschy to let that vision catch fire."

Stephen Holden: The New York Times
"Carefully crafted, lushly romantic"

Caren Weiner Campbell: Entertainment Weekly
"The filmmakers have created a pretentious extended 'Twilight Zone' episode with obscenely high production values"

Lisa Alspector: Chicago Reader
"Some will say this film is overly ambitious, but what the hell. The man put five years of his life into making this epic mystery. We can surely give it two hours of ours"

Bob Graham: SFGATE
"Although not all of the movements are fleshed out to their full potential, The Red Violin still attains a certain symphonic grandeur that deserves to be applauded."

Mark Caro: Chicago Tribune

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Ranking Lists Position

56 My Favorite Canadian Movies (9)

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The Red Violin

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