Beethoven's Nephew (1985)

Synopsis: The stormy music, life and struggles of Ludwig van Beethoven have served as subject matter for a number of films from Abel Gance's BEETHOVEN to Bernard Rose's IMMORTAL BELOVED. For his third and... The stormy music, life and struggles of Ludwig van Beethoven have served as subject matter for a number of films from Abel Gance's BEETHOVEN to Bernard Rose's IMMORTAL BELOVED. For his third and final costume-historical film, Paul Morrissey (BLOOD FOR DRACULA, FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN) crafts his own version, choosing to focus on the destructively possessive relationship between Beethoven and his nephew Karl. After successfully winning the custody of Karl from his mother (Jane Birkin), alleging that she is an immoral prostitute, Beethoven (portrayed here as a tantrum-throwing, greedy, and cantankerous maniac) proceeds to exercise insane control over his young nephew's life. Not unlike the master-servant relationships from Morrissey's previous horror films, Beethoven acts as a mad master, following Karl into his boarding school, thwarting any meetings with his mother, and preventing amorous liaisons. After an unsuccessful suicide attempt, Karl takes a mistress, only to further provoke his uncle's ire. As Karl's independence increases, so does Beethoven's musical passion and subsequently the decline in his health. In the process of slyly mocking the pretensions of historical costume dramas and the concepts of genius and family, Morrissey simultaneously draws the viewer in to a very real tragedy in which each character is equally troubled and sympathetic. [More]

Starring: Nathalie Baye, Jane Birkin, Mathieu Carriere, Wolfgang Reichmann

Starring: Nathalie Baye, Jane Birkin, Mathieu Carriere, Wolfgang Reichmann, Dietmar Prinz, Dave Cameron, Hubert Kramer

Director: Paul Morrissey

Director: Paul Morrissey
Screenwriter: Paul Morrissey, Mathieu Carriere

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