La tentation de Vénus

This movie is really something different. It's all about music. It is about the desperate attempt of an idealistic hungarian conductor to perform "Tannhaeuser" in the opera house of Paris. The problems he encounters are unbelievable... and for us viewers, unbelievably funny.

What really is wonderful about this movie is of course the music. It shows how much passion and love lies within classic music, and how much work there is to do until the staff of such a big production is finally in synch.

This film also offers a chance to get an insight into classical music pieces. Some of the most splendid passages of Wagners "Tannhaeuser" can be listened to in full beauty, and thus the film might tempt some people to overcome their inhibitions and to dive into the world of opera.

For those more interested in characterization there are a lot of weird persons playing in this story, showing different kinds of European lifestyle and tackling topics like prejudice, bureaucracy and of course love.

The Hungarian conductor Zoltan Szanto (Niels Arestrup) is invited to conduct Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner in Paris. Szanto has to face problems with the ego of the artists, strikes and his family since he falls in lover with the diva Karin Anderson (Glenn Close). But in the end, his love for Karin and passion for Wagner bring redemption to him.

One movie that I regret that has not been released on DVD or Blu-Ray in Brazil is "Meeting Vênus", of 1991 from the critically acclaimed Hungarian director István Szabó and with Glenn Close in the top of her career in the role of a problematic diva.

Using the staging of opera "Tannhäuser" by Richard Wagner in Paris as background, this wonderful feature is a satire of the unification of Europe that was happening in that historical moment through the ego of the musicians from different countries in the orchestra where the character of Glenn Close is the lead attraction.

Just as information, Vênus is the mundane woman or goddess that the troubadour Tannhäuser has sex in the medieval legend that the opera is based.

The mime of Glenn Close, dubbed by Kiri Te Kanawa, is perfect and the climax of this movie is the entrance of the artists singing Pilgrims Chant in the opera house and Szanto's stick blossoming. I have seen this scene several times on my VHS that I have seen at least four times. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil) : "Encontro com Vênus" ("Meeting Venus")

I saw this last night on UK TV. Glenn Close looked the part as a diva.

Her mouthing of Kiri Te Kanawa's singing was stunning. I've seen Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Victoria de los Angeles sing, from the front row, and I would have believed this to be real thing, had it not been a movie.

I can only imagine that Te Kanawa recorded it after Close has shot the scenes. Otherwise, Close is a wonderful mimic.

Anyway, I was charmed by the movie. Simplistic it may be. But then so was Shakespeare in Love. And, as there, a miracle happens when the curtain goes up (except that there was no curtain at the Globe and here it doesn't actually go up, which is where the miracle happens).

David

This film is much more than a customary movie about opera, though opera lovers get first-rate extracts from Wagner's Tannhauser as well. The action takes place in an imaginary "Opera Europe" in Paris. István Szabó, the excellent film director is really interested here in fanatic people of the theater who came from several countries of Europe to unite their talent in order to create a successful performance of Wagner's youthful masterpiece. The ensemble is a mixture of multinational people: the head of the company (a Spaniard, a former hero of the Spanish Civil War,) her private secretary and mistress (descendant of a noble Russian family,) the conductor (a talented young Hungarian who suffers from inferiority complex because of his East-block origin,) the singer who plays Tannhauser (a permanently offended dumpy man from the DDR with beautiful voice,) the French theatrical technician (a pig headed trade unionist who causes much trouble,) etc. They carry with themselves all good and vicious habits and traditions of their origin which cause many conflicts but humorous episodes as well during the rehearsals. There is a remarkable scene when at a dinner party the protagonists put aside all of their conflicts and sing together a song called "Suliko" which was once Stalin's favorite. (They sing it not because they love Stalin, but because of a certain nostalgia for their youth.) In the center of the story stands the Hungarian conductor's and a Nordic singer's (played by Glenn Close) stormy love affair which ends in diminuendo (using here deliberately this term of music.) Strongly recommended for everyone who loves art and theater.

this movie, besides giving the casual viewer a glimpse into the operatic world, also affords the viewer a casual glimpse into the world and the business, of music making, and it ain't pretty. but it's accurate.

as a professional musician in an international setting for more than 25 years, let me assure you that the evils of the music business are all here on display, and they are represented accurately: complaining musicians, managers for whom the word 'know' was replaced by the word 'no' at an early age (perhaps in their infancy), smarmy interfering union reps, and please God, save us all from short conductors with bleeping inferiority complexes.

and then there are the operatic singers. oh my!! (dr. georg szell called opera singers, " 'unmusical beasts', who have to have every note beaten into them by a vocal coach". this is true, by my experience).

the only really weak moment that i noticed was when the conductor left the podium during a rehearsal to knock on the door of the singer. this is absolutely improbable/impossible in my experience. conductors get their 'power' by being on the podium. they do not leave the podium

orchestra conducters get/force sex by more sordid means, not by leaving the podium.

this movie has a lot to recommend it, on many different levels- check it out.

i give it a 9.2.

watch it in a 'Robert Altman' frame of mind, i think that you will see what i mean.

it's not 'terror in tiny town'. and it's not, 'the godfather, part one'. it's somewhere in between. it's really a fine movie.

thanks. alvink