Life and Loves of Mozart (1956)

Mozart review

The CD was in good condition...my only complaint is that I was disappointed because it was not Oskar Werner's voice...someone else's voice was on CD. I did not know that when I ordered it. Otherwise, it is okay. But I was disappointed in that. But it is better than nothing. I would rather have it in German than dubbed over. March 8, 2006

A better portrait than Amadeus, but too old for the classroom

I purchased this DVD to show my music history class while I was away at a conference.

I always hesitate to show Amadeus to my students because it portrays Mozart as a bumbling, childish idiot, which, to my research, is not really accurate. This film, I feel, does a good job of portraying Mozart as a dedicated, hard working, phenominally talented though somewhat immature and impertinant genius.

Costumes and sets are also exceptional.

Unfortunately, the film suffers from its age: the acting is quite cheezy, the script is trite and unengaging, the colors are a little off... my students were unable to relate to the film. Ultimately, they were so distracted by these elements that they missed entirely the imporance of seeing Mozart in a different way than they already knew from Amadeus.

As a movie for personal enjoyment - if you like old films and you are interested in the life of Mozart, I can highly recommend it. February 23, 2006

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