The film won numerous awards including but not limited to: an Oscar, a Grammy, and Golden Globe. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the haunting music of a solo violin that plays throughout stirs your soul. The movie spans over 300 years and the violin touches the lives of many characters in many different countries. And though this movie is fictional, it is apparent that the story line was somewhat influenced by a red Stradivarius violin - click here to read about its unique story.
Samuel L. Jackson is the big name in the movie known to us in the USA. Originally, his part was offered to Morgan Freeman. Samuel plays an expert who is hired to authenticate and appraise many antique instruments that come from the Chinese government to an auction house. As he notices the odd color of a particular violin, his interest is peaked with the hope that could this be? Could this be the last violin made by master violin maker Bussotti (fictional person) that has been missing for hundreds of years? Jackson's character is then obsessed to find the truth. The methods used to prove authenticity are quite fascinating, although the story does not go into great depths about them.
Jackson's character is very important to the movie, and he does a wonderful job. But I would be remiss if I did not call your attention to a small boy who plays 6 year old Kasper Weiss (Christof Koncz)- an orphaned child with a beautiful haunting gift as violinist, who also suffers from a weak heart. PLEASE NOTE: THIS WAS THE ONLY ACTOR IN THE MOVIE WHO ACTUALLY PLAYED THE VIOLIN, and this is a clip from the movie showcasing his marvelous talent:
Until I researched who the true violinists were in the movie, I really did not expect this young child to have this level of playing ability. It's truly awesome. I also wondered if they had sped the movie up (especially at the end of this clip where he finishes and rests) but I found they did not. Also, for you non violin players out there...the kid is playing on a full size violin which means fingering the harmonics with his left hand is much more difficult because of the limited reach his small hand and fingers would have.
The solo violinist who you hear dubbed over the other actor's "playing" and the left hand you often see in closeups belongs to Joshua Bell:
In the credits, Joshua is referred to as the "stunt violinist". :)
Remember, this movie spans over 300 years and the violin is given an unique life as it touches the lives of all those who held it, whether they played it or not. Why was this the last violin master violin maker Bussotti ever made? And who was it made for originally? And what is so special about its color? How did it travel between Italy, Germany, England, China, and Canada? Who actually has possession of the violin in the end? For the answers to these questions, you must watch the flick!
English subtitles used when Italian, French, German, and Chinese is spoken. This film can be found on Netflix.
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