Search - Gustav Mahler: To Live, I Will Die on DVD

Yes, there are subtitles

Charles S. Tashiro | Agoura Hills, CA USA | 09/18/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This Austrian documentary about Gustav Mahler tries a few new tricks. To judge from some of the comments from other reviewers, they may be a bit unsettling. I suspect, however, that some of the confusion may result from poor disc interface design. English subtitles are available, but the default is to play the disc in German without them. You have to request the menu screen; otherwise it will play without subtitles. In fact, much of the film uses tried and true documentary techniques: an impersonal voice relating events in Mahler's life over period photographs; shots of locations, such as the Vienna Opera, where he worked; letters from the composer read out loud, and so on. Even some of the deviations from standard technique, such as costumed actors speaking as people from the composer's life, are not that unusual. Peter Watkins's EDVARD MUNCH, for example, shoots the painter's life as if Watkins were a documentary filmmaker in 1880s Oslo. Even some PBS documentaries, such as their recent series on the American Revolution, borrow this convention. (And when you think about it, this is no more bizarre than interviews with historical experts who speak as if, say, they were actually at the Battle of Gettysburg, or who blithely impute motivations to people as if they somehow had access to their historical subject's dead head. It's bad enough when novelists pull this trick; historians should be a bit more circumspect.)The only aspects of the film that may seem a little unusual are things like repeated images of train engines to signify changes in Mahler's life, or the length of time given over to performing his music. (Then again, this is a film about a composer, is it not?) Even here, though, the film is far less radical than the work of, say, Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, or Jean-Luc Godard.So, does it provide us with a sense of the composer's life and significance? Yes, at least as well as the average documentary, and considerably better than the PBS series about Great Composers. It is not as conventionally entertaining as a fictional biopic, but it isn't trying to be. On the other hand, because it is a documentary, and because its form is relatively open, it is able to provide a broader context than a standard fiction feature. A good deal is devoted to how Mahler's career was effected by Austrian anti-Semitism, for example. If the film can be said to have a major fault, it lies in daring to mix forms (documentary and drama), something that always makes people nervous. As far as I am aware, however, no law has yet been passed against this, and I don't see why filmmakers shouldn't explore this option if they desire."

Easier to digest than Russell's pic ...

Mr. John Haueisen | 07/30/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have been longing for a good Mahler movie that is not self-consiciously arty and seeks to tell it like it was. Maybe that is expecting too much. This movie is not nearly as pretentious as Ken Russell's film, though at least we can appreciate Russell's passionate committment to his subject. Here, there is less passion and more strict storytelling, yet now and then we are subjected to paroxyms of awkward and studied profundity that seem inevitable given who Mahler was and what he was about. That said, I found my particular video copy of excellent technical quality and perfectly fine as video accompaniment to Mahler's stupendous compositions. A must for Mahlerians everywhere!"

Mahler: the man, the music, or the meaning of life?

Mr John Haueisen | WORTHINGTON, OHIO United States | 02/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you are relatively new to Mahler and his music, this might be the best choice for you. It tells the story of Mahler's life and struggles, and includes many excellent pieces of his music. So, if you've just discovered, or want to discover Mahler, this is the place to start.

If you prefer to learn about Mahler the man, start with Ken Russell's "Mahler." It's a bit bizarre at times, but it will certainly teach you about the little Jewish boy who grew up to revolutionize the meaning and uses of music. You really get to know the man, and his beautiful, beloved wife, Alma.

There is another option too. You can opt for the metaphysical, and see "What the Universe Tells Me." This film includes the entire Third Symphony. Then, with beautiful photography of Nature's beauty, which inspired so much of Mahler's music. it goes a step further: it includes interviews and commentaries by philosophers, music historians, and even theologians, who remark on the almost supernatural intelligence which so many of us find in Mahler's music.

Choose your own starting point, but I hope you'll come to appreciate the man who provides an entirely different appreciation of music and life. I should also advise you that the film is in German, but you can choose English subtitles. (Wanted to warn you about that in case you just can't stand subtitles.)



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Mahler: the music, the man, or God?

Mr. John Haueisen | WORTHINGTON, OH (United States | 06/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
If you are relatively new to Mahler and his music, this might be the best choice for you. It tells the story of Mahler's life and struggles, and includes many excellent pieces of his music. So, if you've just discovered, or want to discover Mahler, this is the place to start.

If you prefer to learn about Mahler the man, start with Ken Russell's "Mahler." It's a bit bizarre at times, but it will certainly teach you about the little Jewish boy who grew up to revolutionize the meaning and uses of music. You really get to know the man, and his poor beloved wife, Alma.

There is another option too. You can opt for the metaphysical, and see "What the Universe Tells Me." This film includes the entire Third Symphony. Then, with beautiful photography of Nature's beauty, which inspired so much of Mahler's music. it goes a step further: it includes interviews and commentaries by philosophers, music historians, and even theologians, who remark on the almost supernatural intelligence which so many of us find in Mahler's music.

Choose your own starting point, but I hope you'll come to appreciate the man who provides an entirely different appreciation of music and life.


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