Il était une fois Jean-Sébastien Bach

The movie's script seemed like one of those poor movies one would be subjected to in American schooling. The narrative voice overs lowered the film down to documentary wishing to be a movie. Also the casting was not coherent with the historical figures. This movie misses the essence and passion of classical musics greatest composer. This could have easily been a story as good or greater then Amadeus.

The films sole saving grace is the great decor. The costume is very good also. All the sheet music and set decoration is well done. There is a lot of attention and creativity in the details (after a while it was all I was watching in the movie). I watched "the making of" on the DVD to try and understand the production. I think it is safe to say it was at least the script... One telling moment was when the director is speaking with the chief decorator. They are discussing how great the set design is and taking a lot of credit, when it is obvious neither one are actually aware of the details of what they are talking about. So the assistant set decorator comes over and explains it... they go on to say in fact the assistant had done all the work discussed. I guess I would be sure to hire the assistant next time. :)

I sincerely hope that someone takes up the biographical subject matter of Bach and does it correctly. It has a great potential... keep the decor and set design - get a dramatic and less narrative script and go from there. ... And now we continue in present day...

It's so easy to criticize a movie to its bone marrow, especially this one. Everything was wrong with it, the costumes, the historic details, the Francofication, the acting, the costumes, the absence of God in his life, the musical performances. But.. I have to say, I did finish watching the movie, while I usually am very quick hitting the stop button. Behind all the frivolous nonsense I saw a movie made by people who were madly in love with this man and his music. That's why they retraced his steps literally, because they were on a pilgrimage with a camera. It reminded me of The Mill and The Cross, which is about a painting of Pieter Breugel the Elder by that title. Although the historic depiction in this movie seems to be more accurate, that is not the point of the movie. The point is to literally enter the aforementioned painting. You can't 'enter' music like you can enter a painting, but, what these film makers seemed to be doing was to go to places where Bach was breathing hoping to inhale a few of the molecules Bach once exhaled. To me it felt that they were using the actors as a vehicle to get closer to their idol. It worked for me. Again, as a movie it wouldn't get a passing grade at any film school, but, as a means of transferring passion, it worked phenomenal, after wards I listened to Bach's music for many hours and I can't wait until Easter when the St Matthew's Passion will be performed.

J.S. Bach is my favorite composer and this movie explored his life in a way I never took the time to do myself.

I ran into this movie by accident and it was a pleasant surprise.

I now have a great appreciation of the man behind the music.

It also gives a hint of what it was like for people of his time - a nice period piece.

For example: I didn't even know he had married.

Another example: I didn't know he was incarcerated. Hmm... ex con? That's not really descriptive of his incarceration, but a fun twist on this footnote!

It's a must see for any J.S. Bach fan!

(By advance, please excuse my bad and too scholastic English) This movie is a perfect example of all that one should not make. The picture is bad: no movement, no perspective. The photograph is bad: runny colours, grainy film. Actor & actress are without expression, without dynamic. NOTA: the superb hairstyle with streak hairs of Anna Magdalena (Like a bimbo girl in `Macumba Club' night dancing in far end of country side during the annual cattle market). Even the music is bad, not in respect with J.S.Bach. Comments with a voice out off picture is monotonous and encourage you to sleep. Dialogs are almost nonexistent and without interest. I don't know if the life of J.S.Bach is very thrilling (according this movie it seems that J.S.B. was a kind of civil servant attached to princes for write one cantata each week !), but his music is in domain of spirituality and it is perfectly concealed/ignored in this movie. Fortunately I suppose that the US audience shall has never the opportunity to see this very bad movie.

What we have is a docudrama about Bach in French with narration in English, and English subtitles. I found the film to be interesting enough and depicts Bach's world rather well. I really felt transported back to the 18th century. The film sticks to the facts like a good documentary would. No Hollywood crap in this story, which may be why people disliked it, they perhaps want a big budget Hollywood drama about Bach, not a docudrama style of film. Maybe the fact its foreign throws people off? I don't know, I watch so many foreign films they seem normal to me.

There's so much of Bach's music in this film its great. How any Bach fan could not appreciate this film is beyond me, and the acting is fine. I equate bad films with being something I can picture on MST3K, this isn't even close to the same ballpark as those types of films. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but if your a true Bach fan don't let these bad reviews steer you away from this film. Ultimately I rank films by the fact of would i ever want watch it again? And in the case of this film I would.