I first watched this movie about 25 years ago and was grabbed by both the music and the story. The music is viol music by Sainte-Colombe and his student Marin Marais, two composers from 17th and 18th century France. The viol is close to the modern cello in appearance but with more strings. Unlike the cello the viol's fingerboard is fretted like a guitar. This ancient music is deeply expressive. The story involves Sainte Colombe's daughter and her love for the young Marin Marais who is rejected as a student by the older man. Tragedy ensues for Sainte-Colombe's daughter Madeleine, and her father withdraws more and more from the outside world into his music and his memories of his dead wife. Marin Marais, now an older accomplished musician, returns to the master Sainte-Colombe, again seeking a teacher, and fearful that Sainte-Colombe' music will die with him. This time the results are markedly different. The film is beautifully made, the acting superb, the cinematography gorgeous, the music sublime, and the subtitles (the movie is entirely in French) barely adequate. Included now on Amazon Prime Video, if you are a musician watch it. You will not be the same afterwards. Even if you're not a musician watch it anyway, unless your movies must have guns and explosives.
Review of Tous les matins du monde
