The Red Violin

When I popped this DVD into the player I almost groaned; subtitles. I have to be in a very adventurous mood, or the movie has to be excellent, for me to embrace subtitles. My mood was not good, but I was rewarded with a movie so excellent, I soon forgot all about the subtitles.

The movie chronicles the journey of a red violin created by a master luthier from Italy. The luthier realizes his violin is special, his masterpiece, and has saved it for his unborn child. Unfortunately, mother and child die in childbirth, and the luthier relinquishes his prize to a common peddler.

The journey is anchored by flashbacks of the pregnant luthier’s wife having her tarot cards read before her untimely death. Each of the five cards symbolizes a leg of the violin’s journey. All legs of the journey ultimately end in sadness, which is befitting an instrument conceived in love, but cast away in the throes of grief.

The violin weaves its way through Italy, Austria, England, China and Canada, spanning centuries. Each person who owns the violin seems to understand its perfection. Unfortunately, those who played the violin failed to be worthy of it. It hardly matters as each vignette completely casts a spell.

I give this movie five stars and I can’t say enough good things about it. The Oscar-winning score is transcendent, the cinematography is sumptuous, the acting superb. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone to read the subtitles (some sections are in English) will be worth it. The Red Violin is a new favorite of mine.

Michelle D. Kieffaber