Louis was Ludwig van Beethoven's nickname as a child and this German-made tribute to one of their most famous sons was released on December 17th 2020 on the 250th anniversary of his birth and features many incidents from Beethoven's early life that shaped and molded him. 3 actors play Ludwig: Colin Pütz plays him aged approximately 8 - 12, Anslem Bresgott plays ages 14 - 20 and Tobias Moretti covers scenes in the last year or so of his life. The movie covers Beethoven's early life as a series of flashbacks and recollections of the 57 year old composer now profoundly deaf, financially struggling and having to live with his younger brother. It demonstrates his anger, prickly personality, and his frustrations at being deaf and the cumulative effects of his life struggles. This movie is not peppered with many of the key incidents in his life such as the events surrounding his most famous compositions, nor will you actually hear much of Beethoven's music and certainly little of his most famous iconic works, rather you will see him being shaped by the music of the great composters of his youth primarily Mozart and Hayden who Beethoven met and studied under.
The movie features spectacular costumery, choreography, interior décor and authentic period musical instruments played in the manner and style of the late 18th century against an authentic backdrop of old cities which meant some of the film was shot in the Czech Republic where more old city centers in that style are preserved. To add to the musical authenticity, Director Niki Stein cast as the child Beethoven not an established German child actor but 12 year old leading German concert pianist Colin Pütz who openly plays all of the musical parts on period instruments. Ironically, he puts in the most convincing acting performance of the three Beethovens. All three seem to capture Beethoven's determination, boldness, notorious temper, and his idealism but Pütz, known for his intense and visually flamboyant playing style, brings real on-screen charisma for such a novice actor.
The movie does capture the influences of: his alcoholic and neglectful father Johann (Cornelius Obonya), the impact of the death of so many siblings and his mother Magdalena (Tatiana Nekrasov) in his late teens, the influence of his initial musical mentor Tobias Pfeiffer (Sabin Tambrea) and his then radical beliefs in liberty and freedom, his unobtainable love interest in the Countess von Breuning's daughter Eleanore (Caroline Hellwig) and the tutelage of Christian Neefe (Urlrich Noethen). It does wander into the realms of fantasy somewhat in covering Beethoven's supposed associations with Mozart. Whilst the historical record acknowledges that they met, it is doubtful that Beethoven had the various encounters depicted in the movie. Strangely, for a movie that paid such meticulous attention to detail in so many aspects of late 18th century Germany, they cast Manuel Rubey who was 41 (and looked it) to play Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when Mozart would've been in his late 20's/early 30's when he met Beethoven and, by all contemporary portraits of the day, was boyish looking for his age. A middle aged looking Mozart wasn't a good fit. Similarly, if you are casting an early adolescent boy, directors must expect rapid height growth and often a voice change during the duration of filming. Forgetting this led to Pütz being taller and with a deeper voice in the early scenes of the movie when he is supposed to be playing the 8 year old Beethoven. In another casting quirk, as the teen Beethoven grows up, the actors playing his younger brothers trade places: the boy playing his 2nd oldest brother then becomes the youngest brother and then the next actor playing the 2nd oldest he too reverts to being the youngest as time advances.
All in all, well worth the 2 hours for a look at how the young Louis Beethoven was shaped to become perhaps the world's most famous composer.
The movie features spectacular costumery, choreography, interior décor and authentic period musical instruments played in the manner and style of the late 18th century against an authentic backdrop of old cities which meant some of the film was shot in the Czech Republic where more old city centers in that style are preserved. To add to the musical authenticity, Director Niki Stein cast as the child Beethoven not an established German child actor but 12 year old leading German concert pianist Colin Pütz who openly plays all of the musical parts on period instruments. Ironically, he puts in the most convincing acting performance of the three Beethovens. All three seem to capture Beethoven's determination, boldness, notorious temper, and his idealism but Pütz, known for his intense and visually flamboyant playing style, brings real on-screen charisma for such a novice actor.
The movie does capture the influences of: his alcoholic and neglectful father Johann (Cornelius Obonya), the impact of the death of so many siblings and his mother Magdalena (Tatiana Nekrasov) in his late teens, the influence of his initial musical mentor Tobias Pfeiffer (Sabin Tambrea) and his then radical beliefs in liberty and freedom, his unobtainable love interest in the Countess von Breuning's daughter Eleanore (Caroline Hellwig) and the tutelage of Christian Neefe (Urlrich Noethen). It does wander into the realms of fantasy somewhat in covering Beethoven's supposed associations with Mozart. Whilst the historical record acknowledges that they met, it is doubtful that Beethoven had the various encounters depicted in the movie. Strangely, for a movie that paid such meticulous attention to detail in so many aspects of late 18th century Germany, they cast Manuel Rubey who was 41 (and looked it) to play Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when Mozart would've been in his late 20's/early 30's when he met Beethoven and, by all contemporary portraits of the day, was boyish looking for his age. A middle aged looking Mozart wasn't a good fit. Similarly, if you are casting an early adolescent boy, directors must expect rapid height growth and often a voice change during the duration of filming. Forgetting this led to Pütz being taller and with a deeper voice in the early scenes of the movie when he is supposed to be playing the 8 year old Beethoven. In another casting quirk, as the teen Beethoven grows up, the actors playing his younger brothers trade places: the boy playing his 2nd oldest brother then becomes the youngest brother and then the next actor playing the 2nd oldest he too reverts to being the youngest as time advances.
All in all, well worth the 2 hours for a look at how the young Louis Beethoven was shaped to become perhaps the world's most famous composer.