Tchaikovsky(1970) is a very beautiful and very good film in its own right. And as a biopic it's interesting and is fairly faithful to the composer's life- though with things that could have been better touched upon.
Not everything works as well as it could have done. The sound is rather tinny especially in the music snippets that represent what is inside Tchaikovsky's head, which can diminish the impact of the music itself. Tchaikovsky's homosexuality is only implied and hinted at(considering that that was one of the main things that was tormenting him, this was at a time where homosexuality was against the law). The thunderstorm resolving into a symphonic movement was a somewhat hackneyed moment in how it was executed and the concept of it really. The ending is rather underdeveloped and glossed over,- those unaware of Tchaikovsky's life prior to watching will be asking how did he die and why- maybe because Tchaikovsky's death still leaves question marks(suicide I believe is the most common theory, but it's not been proved) and the film didn't want to make too much of an open-and-shut case. And some of the characters could have been better introduced.
However Tchaikovsky(1970), getting onto the many good points, is a very lavish production to look at with flowing cinematography and stunning scenery/landscapes and costumes that make you wish you were there in Russia(Russia has to have some of the most beautiful landscapes of any country), also very evocative of Russia in Tchaikovsky's lifetime. Scenes that was particularly quite striking here was that of the carriage running through the forest of birch trees and the 360 degree shot of the parties at the table looking on with amusement at Tchaikovsky trying without success to silence his wife. The music is simply gorgeous and cleverly interwoven(Queen of Spades is shown in nice healthy doses) and arranged by Dmitri Tiomkin, one wishes that their presence was richer though if the sound was better. The writing is sharp-witted and heartfelt while flowing well as well as informative and not soap-opera-ish.
The story told is poignant and compelling, the most telling scenes were Tchaikovsky and Nadezhda Von Meck on the train and Tchaikovsky lunching in Paris with the accordion subtly playing the second movement of the fourth symphony. The performances are great, Antonina Shuranova( Von Meck), Vladislav Strzhelchik(Nikolai Rubenstein) and Evgeniy Evstigneev(Laroche) stand out in support and we even see one of the greatest ballerinas Maya Plisetskaya. But along with the production values the best asset of Tchaikovsky(1970) is the performance of the composer himself. Innokenti Smoktunovsky portrays Tchaikovsky as tormented, introverted, sensitive and somewhat shy and we genuinely sympathise with him. That he bears a remarkable physical resemblance also is a great advantage too, if television did exist at the end of the 19th century this most likely would have been like watching footage of Tchaikovsky himself.
All in all, could have been better developed here and there, but absorbing, beautiful to watch and telling with a truly fine lead performance. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox
Not everything works as well as it could have done. The sound is rather tinny especially in the music snippets that represent what is inside Tchaikovsky's head, which can diminish the impact of the music itself. Tchaikovsky's homosexuality is only implied and hinted at(considering that that was one of the main things that was tormenting him, this was at a time where homosexuality was against the law). The thunderstorm resolving into a symphonic movement was a somewhat hackneyed moment in how it was executed and the concept of it really. The ending is rather underdeveloped and glossed over,- those unaware of Tchaikovsky's life prior to watching will be asking how did he die and why- maybe because Tchaikovsky's death still leaves question marks(suicide I believe is the most common theory, but it's not been proved) and the film didn't want to make too much of an open-and-shut case. And some of the characters could have been better introduced.
However Tchaikovsky(1970), getting onto the many good points, is a very lavish production to look at with flowing cinematography and stunning scenery/landscapes and costumes that make you wish you were there in Russia(Russia has to have some of the most beautiful landscapes of any country), also very evocative of Russia in Tchaikovsky's lifetime. Scenes that was particularly quite striking here was that of the carriage running through the forest of birch trees and the 360 degree shot of the parties at the table looking on with amusement at Tchaikovsky trying without success to silence his wife. The music is simply gorgeous and cleverly interwoven(Queen of Spades is shown in nice healthy doses) and arranged by Dmitri Tiomkin, one wishes that their presence was richer though if the sound was better. The writing is sharp-witted and heartfelt while flowing well as well as informative and not soap-opera-ish.
The story told is poignant and compelling, the most telling scenes were Tchaikovsky and Nadezhda Von Meck on the train and Tchaikovsky lunching in Paris with the accordion subtly playing the second movement of the fourth symphony. The performances are great, Antonina Shuranova( Von Meck), Vladislav Strzhelchik(Nikolai Rubenstein) and Evgeniy Evstigneev(Laroche) stand out in support and we even see one of the greatest ballerinas Maya Plisetskaya. But along with the production values the best asset of Tchaikovsky(1970) is the performance of the composer himself. Innokenti Smoktunovsky portrays Tchaikovsky as tormented, introverted, sensitive and somewhat shy and we genuinely sympathise with him. That he bears a remarkable physical resemblance also is a great advantage too, if television did exist at the end of the 19th century this most likely would have been like watching footage of Tchaikovsky himself.
All in all, could have been better developed here and there, but absorbing, beautiful to watch and telling with a truly fine lead performance. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox