Is it better to be the lover or to be loved? This is the central question of "Rhapsody", a film about a young woman, Louise Durant (Elizabeth Taylor), and the two musicians between whom she divides her attention. Paul Bronte (Vittorio Gassman) is a violinist and James Guest (John Ericson) is a pianist. Each falls for the charms of Louise, though they differ in the way they choose to divide their time between Louise and their fledgling music careers.
The director of the film, Charles Vidor, may have overused filters in Ms. Taylor's closeups, but who am I to argue with the wonderful results? At age 22, she is the personification of radiant beauty in this film, and anyone can understand how these men might be distracted.
The film is filled with enjoyable music, and it should be mentioned that Gassman and Ericson have to fake playing some extremely difficult passages, which they do very well. As an aside, check out Vittorio Gassman in "Sharkey's Machine" (1981) if you want to see him play a contrastingly villainous role.
The film rolls along amicably until the finale, which is full of emotion and transcendence, making the film worthwhile. Louise unexpectedly finds understanding and is transported to a greater love. One of the musicians discovers within himself a strength he never knew he had. And the accompanying music is Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto--one of the most beautiful romantic pieces ever written.
I would describe the ending as Randian, a reflection of Ayn Rand's views on romantic love. Many misunderstand her lifeview as cold and calculating, but nothing could be further from the truth. Just as she celebrated the heroic in men/women, she championed heroic love between two people. Rachmaninoff's Second is not just romantic, it is triumphant. As the orchestra swells over the insistent notes of the piano, the music emphasizes the adoring look on the face of Louise and it celebrates the pianist's new-found egoism (self love, based upon his self-accomplishment). It's a beautiful scene on many levels and it elevates the film significantly.
The director of the film, Charles Vidor, may have overused filters in Ms. Taylor's closeups, but who am I to argue with the wonderful results? At age 22, she is the personification of radiant beauty in this film, and anyone can understand how these men might be distracted.
The film is filled with enjoyable music, and it should be mentioned that Gassman and Ericson have to fake playing some extremely difficult passages, which they do very well. As an aside, check out Vittorio Gassman in "Sharkey's Machine" (1981) if you want to see him play a contrastingly villainous role.
The film rolls along amicably until the finale, which is full of emotion and transcendence, making the film worthwhile. Louise unexpectedly finds understanding and is transported to a greater love. One of the musicians discovers within himself a strength he never knew he had. And the accompanying music is Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto--one of the most beautiful romantic pieces ever written.
I would describe the ending as Randian, a reflection of Ayn Rand's views on romantic love. Many misunderstand her lifeview as cold and calculating, but nothing could be further from the truth. Just as she celebrated the heroic in men/women, she championed heroic love between two people. Rachmaninoff's Second is not just romantic, it is triumphant. As the orchestra swells over the insistent notes of the piano, the music emphasizes the adoring look on the face of Louise and it celebrates the pianist's new-found egoism (self love, based upon his self-accomplishment). It's a beautiful scene on many levels and it elevates the film significantly.