Direction: Petr Václav
Country: Czech Republic / Italy / Slovakia
Eight years after dedicating a documentary to Josef Myslivecek, the talented Czech director Petr Václav unleashes his imagination by crafting a full-length fictional biopic about this Prague-born composer whose operas influenced the young Mozart and earned acclaim in 18-century Italy. Despite this, he lived penniless throughout his life and was quickly forgotten.
The story, constructed as a long flashback, covers his life and work in Italy. There’s a curious prologue that portrays the disfigured composer (Vojtěch Dyk) struggling to survive in 1971 Rome. The narrative winds back to 1765 Venice, when he declined to marry a wealthy cello student to pursue a scalding relationship with a hedonistic aristocrat (Elena Radonicich ) who manages to put him in contact with the most celebrated opera singer of that time, the moody Caterina Gabrielle (Barbara Ronchi). His career takes off in Naples, and eventually leading him to Bologna, where he reunites with the love of his life, Baroness Anna Fracassati (Lana Vladi). But this woman is held captive by a violent and jealous husband. In Padua, syphilis gets him disfigured, and he departs to Rome later for a cold, futile musical reunion with Gabrielli.
Classical music and carnal pleasure go hand in hand in a film that captures the charm and the vulgarity of the eccentric artistic society of that era. Humor is often present but the film is not devoid of disturbing moments. Václav portrays all of this marvelously, and his grandiose ambition is rewarded with beautifully composed shots, impressive lighting techniques, detailed settings, and an elegant costume design. Yet, by always placing the characters at the forefront, there’s a bittersweet, mundane flavor that thwarts any artsy pretension.
Even with some deviations from historical truth, the director provides a fair view of the artist and his personality, in a ballsy move that avoids the pitfalls of academicism and period dramas.
