Chopin: Desire For Love

I own most of the major videos celebrating major pianists - from the 1940's Katherine Hepburn portrayal of Clara Schumann to this 2002 Polish production. There are two that I frequently rewatch (at least my favorite scenes/music) and they are Amadeus and Chopin: Desire for Love.I lent this Chopin movie to my piano teacher from the Peabody Institute (America's oldest world-class music conservatory), a concert pianist on three continents. She was a major student of Laires who studied under Philip who studied under Mathias who was Chopin's most famous student. She missed the credits then asked me, "Who played the music for that movie? Those were excellent performances played the way I was taught Chopin wanted them played."Most of the piano music is played by a prize winner of the great Warsaw International Chopin Competition and other instruments are played by world class artists including cellist Yo Yo Ma.There is a lot of Chopin music in the film, sometimes as background music or sometimes as the focus of a scene. There are several interspective moments where two or three minutes of beautiful music play continuously - including a scene where Franz Liszt plays Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude".The Chopin: Desire for Love storyline has weak moments but flows well and is relatively historically accurate (I read Chopin biographies/letters extensively and play Chopin on the piano) and the acting is excellent. The characters are refreshingly believable and not simply the lineup of gorgeous models Hollywood seems to believe are required for leading roles these days. The costumes and scenery are top notch.

A very compelling, very professional all-Polish cast production in English (not dubbed). The acting & production was superb, and this Film portrayal felt much more authentic than the American version "Impromptu" with Hugh Grant (Poor casting for Chopin) which was more theatrical & superficial. The music in Desire For Love was also superb and magnificent. The many scenes from the European salons where Chopin performed were portrayed with great detail and authenticity. One of the most impressive things in the film was the actor who played Chopin who was an excellent choice to play the part. A much more passionate and romantic, artistic portrayal of Chopin than Hugh Grant. Desire for Love focuses more on Chopin's relationship with George Sand and their tempestuous romance and how it impacted them both and her two children. There is also more emotional intensity to this film, which reveals the pathos and struggles of life and love during an era that most Americans don't know about or understand. This movie portrays the hardships of a genius who was literally forced out of Poland when the Communist Russian regime pillaged and destroyed so much culture, including his piano at home. I give this film 5 stars. A most important film for its artistic beauty, depth, and historic significance.

This is one of the two or three movies made that portrays Frederick Chopin - whose music enthralls the senses and whose personality is of easy prey to theatrical play.The reviews presented here have brought out the most obvious flaws of the movie which I need not discuss further, though I would have to commend the rather admirable acting undertaken by the leading actor and actress.That Chopin was described as a selfish boor here I must quite agree, and the film certainly reiterates the stereotype of Chopin as a narcissistic, withdrawn, idiosyncratic and insufferable man, in spite of the ethereal qualities of his music. Rather than bridging these seemingly irreconciliable aspects, the film sought to present them "as they are".The quality of the image leaves much to be desired - despite being a rather recent production, the clarity of the image is inferior to say, Impromptu, shot more than 10 years earlier.Speaking of which I would like to say, Impromptu has a wholesome lot more of entertainment than what the dry satire of Desire for Love, intended or otherwise, could have afford. Impromptu's comical approach, though perhaps historically less accurate is clearly more successful than Desire for Love's quasi-epic and biographical attempt.The reason for awarding three stars is the rather disjointed sequences and dialogues that do not seem to leave the film with any clear sense of direction, making it appear to be rather stiff, stifled and lengthy.The amusing segments that adversely up-ed the viewing pleasure, though in a slightly "perversed" manner, had to be the farce-inducing, heated argument over the chicken parts (which may very well be a real issue for heated debate despite its ludicrousness) as well as the older Solange's irritatingly obsessive behavior, somewhat of a miscast for an actress who seems obviously too old for the role and unfortunately does not possess the physical features that endears the audience to her plight.

Here is the poet of the piano with a great sense of humor -- his impersonation of Liszt is gigantically wonderful -- and so engaging as an artist with high ideals and struck by physical limitations. Here, finally, Chopin is heroic and strong in the face of his tuberculosis; and not depicted as a sentimental, sorry recluse, as Hollywood has done -- and perhaps as the popular opinion is. Chopin was a strong man and a fiery pianist if need be; a sweet lover and a man of principle if need be: life and ideals are intertwined. (Schumann, Berlioz, Liszt, and our poster-boy Chopin knew this more or less consciously) -- So nice to see a depiction of Chopin as a vigorous, lively man, and able to suffer his illness with dignity and power. -- All the cast is beautiful, and the sound-track is just great -- there are some famous musicians on board here... just get into it if you love the genre, and you shall be delighted!