Meeting Venus (1991) User Reviews

A paean to the passionate life!

[Spiritus_ex_Machina · 8/10 · 1 February 2005]

Lord, how I love this movie!

I have been a Wagnerphile for most of my adult life. The entrance music at my wedding (30+ years ago) was from Parsifal. I hum leitmotifs when I'm feeling good. And when I really want an emotional catharsis, I put on "Meeting Venus."

I watched it again, after several years' hiatus, a few nights ago. I laughed out loud time and again and sat with tears streaming down my face during the finale. What a wonderful film!

I recommend this time and again to my music-loving friends. Imagine "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind," set in Paris, produced by the BBC, and with an international, stellar cast of both performers and voice talent. (Not to put down the Christopher Guest ensemble, but consider Glenn Close, Kiri Te Kanawa, et. al., - really!)

Raise the curtain!

Spiritus ex Machina

The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it's stranger than we CAN imagine!

A first rate film about the birth of a Tannhauser performance

[kerjoska · 8/10 · 23 February 2004]

This film is much more than a customary movie about opera, though opera lovers get first-rate extracts from Wagner's Tannhauser as well. The action takes place in an imaginary "Opera Europe" in Paris. István Szabó, the excellent film director is really interested here in fanatic people of the theater who came from several countries of Europe to unite their talent in order to create a successful performance of Wagner's youthful masterpiece. The ensemble is a mixture of multinational people: the head of the company (a Spaniard, a former hero of the Spanish Civil War,) her private secretary and mistress (descendant of a noble Russian family,) the conductor (a talented young Hungarian who suffers from inferiority complex because of his East-block origin,) the singer who plays Tannhauser (a permanently offended dumpy man from the DDR with beautiful voice,) the French theatrical technician (a pig headed trade unionist who causes much trouble,) etc. They carry with themselves all good and vicious habits and traditions of their origin which cause many conflicts but humorous episodes as well during the rehearsals. There is a remarkable scene when at a dinner party the protagonists put aside all of their conflicts and sing together a song called "Suliko" which was once Stalin's favorite. (They sing it not because they love Stalin, but because of a certain nostalgia for their youth.) In the center of the story stands the Hungarian conductor's and a Nordic singer's (played by Glenn Close) stormy love affair which ends in diminuendo (using here deliberately this term of music.) Strongly recommended for everyone who loves art and theater.

A charming, beautiful picture of an opera production

[benjamin-staern · 8/10 · 23 May 2006]

I've seen this movie many times now. It covers most of the things that is evident in an opera house and productions. Though some of the sceneries, dramatic situations are slightly exaggerated, I still think it is well achieved attempt to recreate typical scenes of an opera production, love stories, conflicts with opera managers, strikes, problems with orchestral musicians and singers, corrupt non-environmental cooperation sponsors, Paris and Budapest cultural milieus.

But there is some small flaws. Erland Josephson who plays Picabia (General Director of Opera Europa) is a great actor but he doesn't do it all well with his Spanish pronunciation and pronounces Karin in with real Swedish accent. Otherwise he's portraying the role of with absolute perfection.

Glenn Close is simply marvelous as the Swedish soprano and Niels Arestrup as Maestro Szanto is very credible in his role as the conductor.

The music from Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner works as a third character in this movie, same function as the other movie Amadeus (1984) by Milos Forman. I would recommend anyone to see this movie, to simply enjoy it over a nice evening!!

A treat for classical music lovers.

[monabe · 7 February 2000]

A marvelous film that anyone with an interest in classical music will enjoy - be they an opera lover or hater. Excellent bravura performances by Close and Arestrup conjure up a heady mix of artistic temperament, the politics of "The Arts" and great music. It is great fun. The film is exuberantly directed and the pace never lets up. A triumph for Director Victor Szabo.

opera drama

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 19 April 2020]

Various musicians and singers of many nationalities led by Hungarian conductor Zoltan Szanto (Niels Arestrup) are gathering in Paris for a new opera performance to celebrate the new Europe. He begins a fling with Karin Anderson (Glenn Close), the star of the show. He has to navigate the jealousy, ambitions, bureaucracy, former communists, national rivalries, and union regulations.

There are some funny bits with the story background. All the chaos has some fun. The romantic plot is a little flat and the drama comes out of nowhere. I didn't realize that he was married. Karin gets hot and cold for unforeseeable reasons. I do like Glenn Close's performance but it can be abrupt. The script should spend a little more time ironing out the drama in the relationship. I don't know much about the music and I don't care that much about it either.

More soap than opera

[aberlour36 · 6/10 · 21 January 2007]

This film is advertised as a biting satire, a romantic comedy, and a display of glorious operatic music. In fact, it is an old fashioned soap opera about "putting on a show." Yes, the acting is good. And there are indeed some telling observations on the difficulties of trade unions and nationalistic strains in contemporary Europe. But there is very, very little comedy, even less satire, and even less opera. Mostly the film is about the romance between a neurotic and unfaithful conductor and his even more neurotic soprano. We are supposed to care if they have a prolonged affair. There are plenty of tears, shouting, and angst.

In the end, the show is so incredibly wonderful (we get a few snippets of the music, just enough to infuriate all Wagnerites) that everyone hugs and kisses. End of film. In short, this is a lengthy waste of time. Unless, of course, you're into soap opera.

The Birth of Tannhauser

[nycritic · 10/10 · 23 January 2006]

Imagine you are one of Europe's most celebrated composers and that you have been invited to Paris to conduct a production of Richard Wagner's "Tannhauser" for the Opera Europa. You will be given a multinational cast of singers, musicians, and strong, bold sets which are meant to elevate the opera to its biggest heights. You arrive, feeling a little inadequate since Parisians are known for being artistic elitists, the Germans believe only they can produce such a magnificent masterpiece and you. Although you are accepted with applause, the pressure is on.

And then imagine that anything and everything that could possibly go wrong takes place with the increasing craziness of a domino dance. Musicians and singers both have unions and demand having more controls over the schedules. Artistic vanity runs amok within the actors, singers, and pretty much everyone else who has their own over-inflated self-importance. One young singer falls, has an accident, and cannot continue with the rehearsals. Another one, an American, receives a visitor from what seems to be an ex-lover, causing not only an inflamed jealousy in his current partner but a screaming match that ruins the American's voice. And on top of this, you, the composer, are not only at odds with your leading lady, but somehow have found yourself doing an about-face and initiating a torrid love affair with her. And your wife finds out. Which may ruin your marriage.

Not a good thing, if Tannhauser is to be produced. Istvan Szabo brings this elegant farce of love and opera as if he's been there himself: as a director, he could be telling this story as if he himself were Zoltan Szanto (Niels Arestrup) the composer. His view of Szanto is one that looks like compassion: this is a man who is trying, against all odds, to create something unearthly beautiful, but the very humanity surrounding him is the main obstacle and at times seems like it will succeed and Tannhauser will not survive. And then when he falls for Karin (Glenn Close in a role tailor made for her), he completely and irrevocably falls for her, but at times I wonder, does she feel the same for him too? A Diva has been known for creating a web of romance around her composer/director more than once. It's as if Istvan Szabo were telling us that probably the love she feels may be a well-practiced pose to ensure her moment in the spotlight. That all Divas do are make themselves available for the sake of their own vanity.

MEETING VENUS is a rarity of films because it never tries to be an easy farce and is too eccentric in its intertwining, very European characters. Plots aren't solved in the satisfying way that most ensembles would require: that is up to Tannhauser to do, itself as much a character as its human counterparts, to reveal itself like the flower that suddenly blooms at the tip of Szanto's bow despite the intrigues, the near-misses, and even the last-minute inability to even open the stage which reduces the performance to just that. And this is what makes a performance soar: its very presence, its own transcendence, the symbolic meeting and revelation of Venus among the audience.

Excellent opera movie... drama and comedy!

[Starbuck-13 · 9/10 · 6 May 1999]

This movie is really something different. It's all about music. It is about the desperate attempt of an idealistic hungarian conductor to perform "Tannhaeuser" in the opera house of Paris. The problems he encounters are unbelievable... and for us viewers, unbelievably funny.

What really is wonderful about this movie is of course the music. It shows how much passion and love lies within classic music, and how much work there is to do until the staff of such a big production is finally in synch.

This film also offers a chance to get an insight into classical music pieces. Some of the most splendid passages of Wagners "Tannhaeuser" can be listened to in full beauty, and thus the film might tempt some people to overcome their inhibitions and to dive into the world of opera.

For those more interested in characterization there are a lot of weird persons playing in this story, showing different kinds of European lifestyle and tackling topics like prejudice, bureaucracy and of course love.

the music isn't enough to save it

[mjneu59 · 5/10 · 5 December 2010]

A Hungarian conductor tries to unite a multi-national European opera company preparing for a televised production of Wagner's Tannhauser, with mixed results. The same might be said of the film itself, which represents director Istvan Szabo's bid for a wider slice of international box office. Unfortunately, what begins as a mild but engaging Murphy's Law comedy (complete with labor disputes, political arguments, artistic conflicts and so forth) soon devolves into a phony feel-good melodrama, with all the comic frustrations of the early scenes jettisoned in favor of a predictably stormy off-stage romance between the conductor and his temperamental superstar diva (Glenn Close). A few incidental pleasures and an attractive, charismatic cast (presenting the entire European community in a fascinating microcosm) aren't enough to hide all the obvious shortcomings, including (but not limited to) shoddy lip-synching, unnecessary voice-over commentary, and the assumption that listening to Wagner is like dying and going to heaven.

mama, don't let your sons grow up to be musicians

[alvink · 9/10 · 28 February 2005]

this movie, besides giving the casual viewer a glimpse into the operatic world, also affords the viewer a casual glimpse into the world and the business, of music making, and it ain't pretty. but it's accurate.

as a professional musician in an international setting for more than 25 years, let me assure you that the evils of the music business are all here on display, and they are represented accurately: complaining musicians, managers for whom the word 'know' was replaced by the word 'no' at an early age (perhaps in their infancy), smarmy interfering union reps, and please God, save us all from short conductors with bleeping inferiority complexes.

and then there are the operatic singers. oh my!! (dr. georg szell called opera singers, " 'unmusical beasts', who have to have every note beaten into them by a vocal coach". this is true, by my experience).

the only really weak moment that i noticed was when the conductor left the podium during a rehearsal to knock on the door of the singer. this is absolutely improbable/impossible in my experience. conductors get their 'power' by being on the podium. they do not leave the podium

orchestra conducters get/force sex by more sordid means, not by leaving the podium.

this movie has a lot to recommend it, on many different levels- check it out.

i give it a 9.2.

watch it in a 'Robert Altman' frame of mind, i think that you will see what i mean.

it's not 'terror in tiny town'. and it's not, 'the godfather, part one'. it's somewhere in between. it's really a fine movie.

thanks. alvink

stunning dubbing

[DavidB-7 · 27 September 2003]

I saw this last night on UK TV. Glenn Close looked the part as a diva.

Her mouthing of Kiri Te Kanawa's singing was stunning. I've seen Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Victoria de los Angeles sing, from the front row, and I would have believed this to be real thing, had it not been a movie.

I can only imagine that Te Kanawa recorded it after Close has shot the scenes. Otherwise, Close is a wonderful mimic.

Anyway, I was charmed by the movie. Simplistic it may be. But then so was Shakespeare in Love. And, as there, a miracle happens when the curtain goes up (except that there was no curtain at the Globe and here it doesn't actually go up, which is where the miracle happens).

David

A Classy Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 10/10 · 28 December 2014]

The Hungarian conductor Zoltan Szanto (Niels Arestrup) is invited to conduct Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner in Paris. Szanto has to face problems with the ego of the artists, strikes and his family since he falls in lover with the diva Karin Anderson (Glenn Close). But in the end, his love for Karin and passion for Wagner bring redemption to him.

One movie that I regret that has not been released on DVD or Blu-Ray in Brazil is "Meeting Vênus", of 1991 from the critically acclaimed Hungarian director István Szabó and with Glenn Close in the top of her career in the role of a problematic diva.

Using the staging of opera "Tannhäuser" by Richard Wagner in Paris as background, this wonderful feature is a satire of the unification of Europe that was happening in that historical moment through the ego of the musicians from different countries in the orchestra where the character of Glenn Close is the lead attraction.

Just as information, Vênus is the mundane woman or goddess that the troubadour Tannhäuser has sex in the medieval legend that the opera is based.

The mime of Glenn Close, dubbed by Kiri Te Kanawa, is perfect and the climax of this movie is the entrance of the artists singing Pilgrims Chant in the opera house and Szanto's stick blossoming. I have seen this scene several times on my VHS that I have seen at least four times. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil) : "Encontro com Vênus" ("Meeting Venus")