The Red Violin (1998)

Original title

Le violon rouge

Directed by

François Girard

Genre

drama film, musical film, crime film, romance film, mystery film

Country

United Kingdom, Italy, Canada

Runtime

2h 05m

Rated

R

Rating

7.4 of 10 from 453 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A violin made in 1681 passes through different owners across four centuries and five countries. The film follows the instrument and the people who possess it from Italy to China to Canada.

mysteriouselegiacsprawlingreflectivewhimsicalsensuousbittersweetatmospheric

What happens

The Red Violin (French: Le Violon Rouge) is a 1998 anthology drama film directed by François Girard and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Carlo Cecchi and Sylvia Chang. It spans four centuries and five countries telling the story of a mysterious red-coloured violin and its many owners. The instrument, made in Cremona in 1681 with a future forecast by tarot cards, makes its way to Montreal in 1997, where an appraiser identifies it and it goes to auction. The film was an international co-production among companies in Canada, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The screenplay, inspired by a historic 1720 Stradivarius violin nicknamed the "Red Mendelssohn", was written by Don McKellar and Girard. The film was shot in Austria, Canada, China, England and Italy. It features a soundtrack by John Corigliano, with solos performed by violinist Joshua Bell. After premiering at the Venice Film Festival, it received some positive reviews from critics and grossed $10 million at the U.S. box office. It received numerous honours, including the Academy Award for Best Original Score and eight Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture. The film was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, but lost to All About My Mother. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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