Review of Le Violon Rouge (The Red Violin)

Directed by François Girard
Starring: Samuel Jackson, Jean-Luc Bideau, Jason Flemyng, and Greta Scacchi.
Is this “so called Red Violin” worth the hype?
Le Violon Rouge is the second award winning film written by François Girard and Don McKellar. Following in the footsteps of their first award winning film (Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould) they again created a patchwork of short stories held together by musical glue. It's no wonder they brought back veteran cinematographer Alain Dostie from their previous film but they also added François Séguin (La Rage de l'ange) to the roster. Between the four of them they have over ten Genie Awards! That being the case, can they bring this little 'ole Red Violin to life?
Le Violon Rouge is rich in haunting melodies, repetitive archetypes, and metaphysical undertones. Sweeping landscapes and powerful musical oscillations help build a bridge through time, connecting the life of an apparition and a fortune teller. It's the narrative of a sojourn taken by the perfect object. An object that is seen as a mother, son, and even lover. It must undergo a perilous journey and find it's way home just as any other lost soul. But in it's case this journey will take centuries.
The film begins in an auction house where bidding has just commenced on The Red Violin. The story is told through a series of flashbacks interwoven with the auction. The first flashback is the violin's creation in 17th century Italy but the last will not be for centuries later. The violin shall traverse continents; meeting gypsies, artists, revolutionaries, and thieves. This mysterious violin will be admired and sought by many but possibly never find a permanent home.
The cinematography and the art direction in this movie are beautiful. Slow pans and thoughtful scene planning bring much life to the film. Sometimes these shots feel a little drawn out but the lighting and the slow camera movements keep it from becoming to stagnant. It's evident a lot of thought was put into storyboard when you see their dreamy medieval Paris and the fairytale like landscapes of Austria. There is something very romantic in how well these scenes meld and flow with with Joshua Bell's striking violin playing.
This brilliant marriage of visual and auditory themes helps create the tempo that carries the drama in a profound manner. The music department deserves a lot of credit for this film. The repetition and theme variation in the music is alike that of classical sonata. Just as the auction scene repeats visually with slight changes so do it's musical counterparts. Anna's Theme is the best example of this; it's a powerful melody and very Wagnerian in it's attachment to Anna and the violin itself. These themes help build some of the dramatic tension needed to carry you and the violin through time.
The time line in this movie is tricky, if your like me you cling to the first character you really like. Luckily there are several likable characters in this film. The cast is rich in talent with actors such as Jean-Luc Bideau who plays Georges Poussin (violin teacher), Jason Flemying as Frederick Pope (virtuoso violinist), and Greta Scacchi as Victoria Byrd (novelist). Samuel Jackson also has a leading role in this film as Charles Morritz (instrument appraiser). Though Jackson seems like a strange pick, his stereotypical Jackson roll as the angry-loud guy was made palatable to me by the quality of the story.
In the end this is the story about a violin, so don't expect deep characters but it's not all bad news. Check out the interesting archetypes repeated, and the spiritual connections that may or may not exist between some of the characters. Some of the connections in this film are very thought provoking. You will be confused and amused as you make your way through the winding musical driven plot. You will find yourself touched and sometimes giggling at well written cliché. There is drama, romance, suspense, and even a tad of science fiction. This is a film worth watching with a little something for almost everyone.
Primary sources (online)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Violin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Girard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_McKellar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Dostie
http://www.mediacircus.net/redviolin.html
http://www.cinemasense.com/Reviews/red_violin.htm
http://www.spout.com/films/The_Red_Violin/128822/default.aspx
