The Story
At the beginning of the 18th century, the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice collected and trained young orphan girls in music. Concealed from the public, often masked or behind a grille, the orchestra of young girls performs for the rich patrons of the institution. Cecilia (Tecla Insolia), 20 years old, excels as a violinist. Until the arrival of a new music master, Antonio Vivaldi (Michele Riondino), comes to disrupt her life and that of the Ospedale…
Our Opinion
An indispensable opera director in Italy, Damiano Michieletto steps behind the camera for a film about Vivaldi, a native of Venice like him. As expected, the long musical pieces – not necessarily from the “Four Seasons” – are the major component of this variation that tries to escape conventional biopic. While the composer’s personality is respected, the focus is on Cecilia who, in contact with the maestro, will emancipate herself.
This is an opportunity for the neophyte filmmaker to focus on the condition of women at the time and demonstrate how oppressed, hidden, and submissive they were. By skillfully avoiding romance or the mentor/mentee aspect, the relationship between these two characters seeking solace is touching. Similarly, the immersion in the 18th century, both through the visual style and costumes, is successful, countering a certain classicism in the approach, very far from the boldness and soaring heights of “Amadeus” by Milos Forman, less tame on all levels.
DRAMA (France, Italy, 1 h 51). Directed by Damiano Michieletto, starring Tecla Insolia, Michele Riondino, Fabrizia Sacchi. Our rating: 3/5.
