I am no expert on the life of Chopin, but I did a bit of reading and learned that the film is a very highly fictionalized version of his life. Apparently, the studio thought his life wasn't exciting enough to film it as it was...but also they chose to add a lot of Polish patriotism to the film because of WWII. Now I am not saying Chopin liked Poland being dominated and controlled by Russia at that time...but the film overexaggerated it to help bolster the war effort. As a retired history teacher, I resent such changes...and often showing these folks' lives as they really were would still make for compelling movies.
While the film is about the life and career of Frédéric Chopin (Cornell Wilde), the real star of the film is Professor Elsner (Paul Muni)...Chopin's teacher....and a man who apparently never existed and was created for the movie. Additionally, the two actors were vastly different in the film, with Muni giving an over-the-top performance (chewing scenery throughout the movie) and Wilde giving a surprisingly quiet and muted performance. Wilde was nominated for an Oscar...which could indicate that the Academy probably preferred this sort of portrayal.
If you can look past the poor history here and Muni's tendency to dominate the movie (even though he is not supposed to be the main character), what you have left is very lovely. The music is, not surprisingly, lovely. The cinematography and colors are vivid and beautiful. The only negative here is Chopin's visit to Majorca...which, frankly, looks like cheap matte paintings instead of a Mediterranean isle.
Overall, this is a glossy and well made film but one that only gives you a glimpse of the real Chopin...which is pretty typical of many Hollywood biopics.
While the film is about the life and career of Frédéric Chopin (Cornell Wilde), the real star of the film is Professor Elsner (Paul Muni)...Chopin's teacher....and a man who apparently never existed and was created for the movie. Additionally, the two actors were vastly different in the film, with Muni giving an over-the-top performance (chewing scenery throughout the movie) and Wilde giving a surprisingly quiet and muted performance. Wilde was nominated for an Oscar...which could indicate that the Academy probably preferred this sort of portrayal.
If you can look past the poor history here and Muni's tendency to dominate the movie (even though he is not supposed to be the main character), what you have left is very lovely. The music is, not surprisingly, lovely. The cinematography and colors are vivid and beautiful. The only negative here is Chopin's visit to Majorca...which, frankly, looks like cheap matte paintings instead of a Mediterranean isle.
Overall, this is a glossy and well made film but one that only gives you a glimpse of the real Chopin...which is pretty typical of many Hollywood biopics.