Schlafes Bruder

...if I see another movie about a gay man obsessively in love with a straight man, I think I'll scream. Enough, already!!! I mean the object of desire in this case is not even that good-looking! The gay man was better looking, in fact. That said, I did find this an interesting movie and certainly one worth watching at least once, despite the over-the-top acting of most of the main players. It does have beautiful cinematography, an interesting score, and some effective moments (especially the scenes on the rock). What could easily be termed 'an interesting failure'.

This is a good film, actually. It's not extremely faithful to the novel, which is not a bad thing in itself, and if you know the novel, you will understand that there are some aspects of it that couldn't be expressed very well in a film. So they added and changed quite a bit of the story and expanded on the novel, which makes the film interesting to see even if you already know the book, but for some reason they apparently tried to "modernise" the character of Elsbeth by what she is made rather implausible. Still, it's a good movie, well executed, beautifully shot, with a great film score and great cast and acting, rather inspired.

I do not know the (best selling) novel and this adaptation does not prompt me to read it. There is nothing against a film that concerns itself with religious experiences, but this is all very New Age and Vilsmaier does it in the cheapest and most sensationalist way possible: staying on the outside by using all the technical (camera) tricks he could think of and letting the cast screaming their eyes out or by letting them simply overact. In this way the film is just registering an experience, it does not become a part of the film's atmosphere (you have to be an Ingmar Bergman for that).

The very old fashioned melodrama (freshened up by a "modern" element : "oh, that's it!, he's gay!", unbelievable) is not fluently told and the cast is just okay. Mountain scenery and good organ music at least make it bearable.

To the person who said this film is not worth your time ... well, your "review" of the film is not worth the time of half the members of IMDb, but why should I be surprised when all I ever find on this website are people trying to outwit each other with their supposed intellectual superiority? The film is based on a book by Robert Schneider, who also wrote the screenplay. Having read both the book and seen the film, I think the film was a decent adaptation. As one review I read said, the director did seem to take a more stylistic and overall artistic angle on the story, and as such much of the finest material from the book was lost.

However, the film itself is still an excellent piece of work and stands on its own, aside from the book, as a remarkable movie. I'm not sure I noticed anything about "horrible sound effects", but I remember first seeing this film several years ago on Bravo late one night, and I could not get it out of my head for the next several YEARS ... until I discovered Amazon and was able to find an imported copy to purchase for my own. Only a year ago did I actually read the book, which was incredibly engrossing, and I encourage anyone who enjoyed the film to tackle the literary version as well.

The cinematography and the overwhelming metaphysical essence present in this film are what truly sucked me in. The story itself is simply beautiful in the same way that any tragedy, whether Greek or Shakespearean or whathaveyou, is captivatingly melancholy. It resonates within you and makes your heart ache for days afterward. Personally, I found the main character, Elias, to be the most fascinating element of the film. And of course, the scene in which he "opens the gates of heaven" with his sheer musical virtuosity is riveting to behold. This film is truly a delectable treat for the senses.

Anyone who is truly passionate about their talent or art will relate to the "tortured artist" persona that is Elias - the isolation, the dedication to your craft in spite of other desires which we cannot displace, and the embodiment of the emotional realm that so frequently serves as the origin of our inspiration ... this is what the story is truly about. If you can appreciate that, you will love this film.

Never let it be said that this movie in German is guilty of too much subtlety. Heavy and oft repeated use of anything stark and obvious seems to be the rule. Even the little pipe harmonium in the village church that plays like something in Vienna's Stephansdom is way too much, as are the opening scenes flying over the Alps (Where is Julie Andrews when you need her?) first backwards then vorwärts. And not only one, but several actors with Down Syndrome are on display to demonstrate the theme of inbreeding that lies over this film like a soggy blanket (a remote Austrian village as the setting for Deliverance II?). And what would a story like this be without the recurring mention of (shudder) Original Sin?

The novel has none of these cheesy features. It is written in a straightforward manner, albeit with a strain of sentimentality common in popular German language fiction. As many have already commented, somebody apparently convinced the author that, when it comes to cinematic versions, more is better. Too bad. 4 of 10.