Chopin. Pragnienie milosci

I loved this movie. Pjotr Adamczik and Danuta Stenka are marvelous actors, I liked his delicate movements and her "real face". The pictures are beautiful the music is very well chosen and wonderfully performed. Sometimes the plot is a little "scatchy" especially for those who are not really expert in Chopin's (or Madame Sand's) life, but mostly follows the real history (e.g.the gray haired man, hanging around half drunk in Nohant is happen to be Hippolyte Chatiron, half brother of Sand). In spite of some rather primitive solution (the Russian brutes,the plastic eagles in Majorca...)the balance is definitely positive thanks to such delicate and subtle scenes as e.g. Madame Sand in the kitchen wiping her forehead, Chopin, coming home late at night, his walk in the alley and then - one of my favourite - meeting Jan, their conversation then Jan, watching his master, climbing upstairs...or the scene with Albert (Grzymala)and the discussion of Solange's marriage...or the last meeting of the angelic Maestro and Madame Sand (actually it happened so !) - really beautiful and delicate.Thanks, pan Antczak !

I play the piano myself, and I can tell you; Chopin's music is fantastic to play and listen to. Some of his greatest works can be heard in this movie, for example Piano Concerto Nr. 2 and Etude Nr. 12 Op. 10. This is a good film for those who wish to learn more about Chopin's life and music, and how he was as a person. In my opinion, the greatest moment in the film is when Chopin composes his Mazurka in D major, Op. 33. He hear his worker Jan play something on the violin, and from that he composes this Mazurka. (By the way: Those of you who play the piano; check out this mazurka - Op. 33 no. 3. It's a brilliant example of how Chopin could take folk music and turn it to the finest piece of art.)

As I said: I great film, even for those who may not like Chopin or classical music, but enjoy a good film with good characters.

Desire for Love is an excellent film showing the life of Chopin. It strongly shows his fragility in life and passion for his music. Adanczyk plays the great composer giving us the compassion and sympathy for Chopin. The film covers his long-term relationship with Madame George Sands and the struggle between Chopin and Sands children. It is a sad love story, but makes one love Chopin even more for his sensitivity and love for Sands, his country, and his music. Throughout the whole film the best of Chopin is played. There is much more to the composer than the film portrays yet this film is an excellent introduction to his life. I did not want the film to end. His Waltz in A minor 17 plays throughout the film, which brings out a happiness yet a sadness in oneself.

A few films have been made about Chopin, they are all excellent, since the subject demands serious honesty; but they are all American or English. This is entirely Polish, there are only Polish names in the cast, and the crew also seems to be entirely Polish, and it is all filmed on location. As a Polish film about their greatest son it is naturally of great interest, and it is a pleasure to observe that all the actors live up to the challenge: Piotr Adamczyk and Danuta Stenka are quite convincing as Chopin and George Sand, and for once here is a film that includes her children, especially Adam Woronowicz makes a great performance as her son Maurice but also Bozena Stachura as her daughter Solange manages well. You could object to all the sleazy details about their private lives, there might be some exaggerations here, although the film shows a great ambition to stick as closely as possible to the truth. Only Michal Konarski as Franz Liszt is not convincing but is made something of a caricature of, while several important parts are missing, most of all Chopin's teacher (made so prominent by Paul Muni in the 1945 film) and Alfred de Musset (made so real by Andy Patinkin in the 1991 film), and you might object against the lack of coherence in the film, which is rather like a collage of impressions, but the flashbacks are wonderful, and the music, which is all Chopin's, saves the film.

I don't understand a word of Polish, and there are no subtitles present, but I have had many wonderful times watching the DVD. (I own a multi-system DVD player.) The Polish countryside scenes are beautiful, and the actor who played Chopin certainly knew how to play the piano! There are a lot of fights in this movie, usually between Chopin and George Sand, or else George Sand and her husband, or George Sand and her son, or Chopin and George Sand's son (Maurice, her son, HATED Chopin.) George Sand was a French lady writer really named Aurore Dudevant. She wore trousers (practically unheard of for a lady in her day), smoked, and climbed mountains. George Sand was married to another fellow while she was having a lengthy affair with Chopin. There are also a lot of parties in this movie. At one of the parties, George Sand makes a long speech. Also, somebody always seems to be riding a carriage somewhere. In the beginning of the film, there are a lot of soldiers running around.

All in all, it's a great picture and a must see for any Chopin fans. Chopin: Pragnienie Milosci is a famous movie in Poland and from what I understand, it was a very big deal when it came out. In English, the title means: Chopin, Desire for Love.