SPOILERS AHEAD!
I just had the honor to see this film at a pre-show in Hämeenlinna, the birthplace of the composer Jean Sibelius. I haven't seen any of Timo Koivusalo's previous films so I didn't know what to expect of this brand new production. What I do know (and love)is the music of Jean Sibelius.
Right from the beginning this beautiful and often overwhelming music is masterfully integrated in the movie, starting with scenes from the composers funeral, jumping backwards in time to childhood memories of the old Sibelius and finaly jumping all the way back to his childhood from which the film proceeds on a linear timeline, although there are more timejumps to the old Sibelius and his wife Aino at selected moments during the film. However, Koivusalo focuses on the life of the young Jean Sibelius, his years as a student in Finland, Berlin and Vienna, his relationship and marriage with Aino and his friendship and comradeship with other famous finnish artists of his time.
The film also shows the political and social changes that occured in Finland in the late 19th and early 20th century, Finlands struggle for independence, the rising national movements and eventually the civil war. Sibelius is seen as a historical figure in Finland. His most famous piece, Finlandia can be seen as a musical expression of the longing for freedom, the love of the land with it's forests and lakes and the rise of the finnish people from swedish and later russian oppression towards becoming an independent nation.
The film does not, however, show a single-sided, idealising or glorifying picture - neither of Finland's history, nor of the great composers personal life. There are several dialogues that give the film additional depth with their wise words, which hopefully will not be lost in the non-finnish versions that may or may not be made. The level of the acting in this film was perhaps the most surprising single element for me. I should say this team of actors have made finnish film history with this performance - there are only few comparable films in the finnish mainstream of recent years.
People that are, in whatever way, interested in Finland, european history Jean Sibelius (obviously), or symphonic music in general should enjoy this one. I would enjoy it even with my eyes closed - simply letting the music do it's magic...
I just had the honor to see this film at a pre-show in Hämeenlinna, the birthplace of the composer Jean Sibelius. I haven't seen any of Timo Koivusalo's previous films so I didn't know what to expect of this brand new production. What I do know (and love)is the music of Jean Sibelius.
Right from the beginning this beautiful and often overwhelming music is masterfully integrated in the movie, starting with scenes from the composers funeral, jumping backwards in time to childhood memories of the old Sibelius and finaly jumping all the way back to his childhood from which the film proceeds on a linear timeline, although there are more timejumps to the old Sibelius and his wife Aino at selected moments during the film. However, Koivusalo focuses on the life of the young Jean Sibelius, his years as a student in Finland, Berlin and Vienna, his relationship and marriage with Aino and his friendship and comradeship with other famous finnish artists of his time.
The film also shows the political and social changes that occured in Finland in the late 19th and early 20th century, Finlands struggle for independence, the rising national movements and eventually the civil war. Sibelius is seen as a historical figure in Finland. His most famous piece, Finlandia can be seen as a musical expression of the longing for freedom, the love of the land with it's forests and lakes and the rise of the finnish people from swedish and later russian oppression towards becoming an independent nation.
The film does not, however, show a single-sided, idealising or glorifying picture - neither of Finland's history, nor of the great composers personal life. There are several dialogues that give the film additional depth with their wise words, which hopefully will not be lost in the non-finnish versions that may or may not be made. The level of the acting in this film was perhaps the most surprising single element for me. I should say this team of actors have made finnish film history with this performance - there are only few comparable films in the finnish mainstream of recent years.
People that are, in whatever way, interested in Finland, european history Jean Sibelius (obviously), or symphonic music in general should enjoy this one. I would enjoy it even with my eyes closed - simply letting the music do it's magic...