User reviews

This comes out at an opportune time as there is an appetite to find lost composers and record their works. The fact that this composer was very good in his own right - as much as having a role in the young Mozart's life - makes the story more interesting.

The film itself is excellent. It has a slightly different angle on straight biographical narrative which is fine enough, but where it excels is in the mood, that is in the sense of contemporary space, such that we feel drawn into the scenes. This is as much in the writing as in the production which feel authentic. The time devoted to the actual music is well made and the music is strong; the set pieces around opera work especially well, not just for the staging but the singing too.

An artist's life is not predictable, nor often very easy, and Myslivecek's career exemplifies this arc in spades. He lived fast and easy for many years and then it didn't, but he may be unique in enduring a pompous lecture from a royal patron while the said royal moved his bowels. That particular scene does punctuate the quality of mood and moment that this film does very well.

For anyone interested in biography and classical music, this is highly recommended.

Excellent atmospheric film for amateur and connoisseur of opera, the scenes such as rehearsals and shows are truly moving. Under the scene of social relationships are very well depicted. The scenario never fails in easy storytelling such as excess in showing's libertinage or Venitian scenery, just enough to feel how incredibly free were people in this republique and how Venice is such a mysterious and fascinating place. And above Il Bohemo is great to discover in good screening conditions: Athens quality of filmmaking, the art of staging and acting will transport you inside such a lifetime. Far from American cheesy productions, a masterpiece coproduction in Europe at the crossroads of old Europe, between Czech, Italian and French. You may find this movie a bit slow, 2 hours 22 minutes, let's saying it's a good pace to enter historic mood, candlelight, rowing and horseback...and only acoustic live music to express feelings and emotions that are still remaining.

Written and directed by Petr Václav, Il Boemo offers a unique look into the life and career of Czech composer Josef Myslivecek, one of the most acclaimed and prolific composers of opera in Italy. Il Boemo can also be considered a portrait of the XVIII century life by reason of how successfully it achieves the ambience of that period. It evokes the sensation of being in the eighteenth century in a beautiful and captivating way where costumes, furniture, makeup, and hairstyling can transport you to a bygone era of grace and luxury. The film's cinematography consists of colors that transmit a sense of calmness, romance, and drama, reinforcing the narrative's dynamics from its pianissimo to its forte. There is a sense of etherealness captured by the lighting, candles, chandeliers, and natural light, a resemblance to Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975). A resemblance that is not accidental, for, according to Václav, Barry Lyndon and Milos Forman's Amadeus (1984) were artistic inspirations for the lighting, camerawork, narrative style, and the way to shoot opera scenes. This is not the first time Petr Václav delves into the life of Josef Myslivecek, in 2015 he made Zpoved' zapomenutého, a documentary about the forgotten maestro. One of the purposes of Il Boemo is to answer the questions of how it was possible that Myslivecek rose so fast to fame, captivating the world of music, and how he consequently vanished so quickly from the collective memory after being considered one of the most popular Czech composers of the XVIII century.

As a story about a composer, it has many scenes with music, Myslivecek rehearsing and conducting his operas, but also beautiful arias that enhance not only his importance as a composer of that time but also communicate the sublime aspects of music and how it can convey what sometimes is difficult or impossible to put into words. The score for the movie, consisting of Myslivecek's compositions that were rediscovered in recent years, was performed by the Czech group Collegium 1704 conducted by Václav Luks and featuring international soloists like Philippe Jaroussky, Emoke Baráth, Raffaella Milanesi, and Simona Saturová. The pieces of music in the movie add an aura of melancholy. Remainders of what no longer exist, echoes of the rise and fall he experienced. They can also add a sense of joy and fascination. For instance, where one of his operas was met with enormous success provoking admiration everywhere. Being considered a mentor to Mozart, there is a scene where we can see a very young Wolfgang Amadeus joining Myslivecek backstage and effortlessly displaying his talent as a child prodigy. This moment successfully captures in a short amount of time the outstanding mastery of the gifted child and what he would become.

However, Il Boemo is not only a movie about music, it is about the ascent and decline of Myslivecek on a professional as well as a personal level. Petr Václav's feature is not interested in mitigating the harsh reality of the late composer as a forgotten figure whose prime was well beyond him. His life as a Bon vivant with conquers here and there would lead to unforeseen consequences, furthering the impact the movie can produce. The depiction of hedonistic experiences also leads to a sense of freedom in being more open and less restrictive, something that the movie successfully transmits. Some of the situations could be interpreted as peculiar, to say the least, while others as liberating. The movie does not attempt to lessen the hypocrisy often found in snobbery and nobility, on the contrary, it might be said that it heightens it. Behaviors defying the assumed speak for themselves. They might or might not be part of the mores of the era, but they certainly elevate the film's search for the impactful by portraying them. What is also impactful are the performances. The cast is one of the strongest aspects of the movie, and they all play characters that suit them well. Besides the great lead by Vojtech Dyk, we have Elena Radonicich as the empowered rich libertine Marchesa, Barbara Ronchi as the world-famous and problematic soprano Caterina Gabrielli, etc.

Il Boemo, in the end, is an invitation to indulge in the beauty of music, a movie for all art lovers that is definitely worth seeing as it will widen your love for classical music as well as your appreciation for the great Czech composer.

This is an exceptional film. Imagine making a feature film about a musician completely unknown, and with an unpronounceable name to boot. The story of Myslivecek, his relationship to Mozart, his rise and fall, paint a brilliant picture of 18th century operatic life. Furthermore, a film about a musician that actually has fantastically performed music is a rarity. The aria scene with the French Horn is breathtaking: it alone is worth the price of admission. Collegium 1704, led by Vaclav Luks, is a top ensemble, and their performances throughout are first rate. It's also nice to find a film in multiple languages, giving, again, a real sense of the polyglot Hapsburg Empire.