Movie review : FARINELLI 1

[Paolo]

<b><i>Columbia/TriStar, Sony Pictures, VHS, 110 min., 1994-5. Italian/French/English with English subtitles. Golden Globe award winner, best foreign film. Subtitles are lasting and accurate, too! Soundtrack available on CD/cassette, Travelling Auvidis #K1005.</i><p>About the soundtrack - a computer was used to morph the voices of a current lady soprano with a male tenor, combining them into what the creators of the film imagine that a true castrato must have sounded like. If you like to listen to opera, the soundtrack is nice, however - it does STRETCH things a bit near the end when our hero performs 'Lascia ch'io pianga' by and for Handel.<p>The film opens with our hero, Farinelli - aka Carlo Broschi (1705-1782) - in costume, either after a performance, or just plain getting stoned on opium in liquid form mixed in milk. Throughout the film, we are exposed to flashbacks of running white horses. Farinelli tends to 'see' these when he gets stressed and/or nostalgic. We find out later that the reason for this is, according to the movie, is that he is told he was castrated as a little boy because his favorite horse kicked him in the testicles. More on this later.<p>We then cut to a scene of angelic looking little choirboys practicing. They are rudely interrupted by a naked teenage castrato warns little Carlo, from a third story rotunda type landing, never to sing again or "they'll do this to you! Your death is in your throat." Of course, he is covering his crotch with his hands, and leaps to his death right in front of the children.<p>The film then exposes us to the fact that Carlo is studying music with his brother Ricardo under the supervision of Maestro Porpora. Carlo sings, Ricardo writes music. Porpora, himself not a castrato, is historically real. This, unfortunately, is where poetic/movie license boots history out of the way - pretty much. We are set up for the rest of the movie in a scene where little Carlo, looking about eight or nine, won't sing a new piece of music for the Maestro. Ricardo has written it, and Porpora finds it excessive in flourishes and unneeded notes and vocal highlights. Carlo runs from them all in fright, until his father catches up to him and he sobs "I don't want them to do it to ME! I don't want to DIE!" His father then tells him that he must never refuse his voice to his brother - that the two of them were made for each other.<p>We jump ahead in time a bit, and Farinelli is in the private employ of King Phillip of Spain. Ricardo has come looking for him to tell him that he has finally finished "Orpheus," the opera that he began writing when the boy was initially castrated. Of course, he is removed.<p>We then jump back in time, and Carlo - not yet dubbed 'Farinelli' - is a young man travelling with his brother. He gets into a duel with a huckster of some type and his trumpet player. These two are making fun of castrati that take on the bet to keep up with the trumpeter and cannot. If one looks closely, you'll see that the little boy sitting on the stage watching is the same boy who plays little Carlo. Carlo is, of course, pissed at the two and takes up the challenge. He outsings the trumpet player, and the crowd shouts that he ground the player into "farina". Hence the name Farinelli. One other translation is that Farinelli is one form of 'young rougue' or 'rougish boy.' The duel with the trumpet player, overheard by none other than GF Handel, is somewhat open to historical debate.<p>Handel wants Farinelli to work for his theatre, but he refuses since the Maestro is not interested in his brother. This launches a "war" between the Broschi's and Handel, with Farinelli performing for everyone but him and leading to an ongoing arguement with comments on Handel's distaste for Castrati. This too, is subject to debate. Did it or did it not happen this way?</b><p>end part 1

[Paolo]

<b><i>Columbia/TriStar, Sony Pictures, VHS, 110 min., 1994-5. Italian/French/English with English subtitles. Golden Globe award winner, best foreign film. Subtitles are lasting and accurate, too! Soundtrack available on CD/cassette, Travelling Auvidis #K1005.</i><p>About the soundtrack - a computer was used to morph the voices of a current lady soprano with a male tenor, combining them into what the creators of the film imagine that a true castrato must have sounded like. If you like to listen to opera, the soundtrack is nice, however - it does STRETCH things a bit near the end when our hero performs 'Lascia ch'io pianga' by and for Handel.<p>The film opens with our hero, Farinelli - aka Carlo Broschi (1705-1782) - in costume, either after a performance, or just plain getting stoned on opium in liquid form mixed in milk. Throughout the film, we are exposed to flashbacks of running white horses. Farinelli tends to 'see' these when he gets stressed and/or nostalgic. We find out later that the reason for this is, according to the movie, is that he is told he was castrated as a little boy because his favorite horse kicked him in the testicles. More on this later.<p>We then cut to a scene of angelic looking little choirboys practicing. They are rudely interrupted by a naked teenage castrato warns little Carlo, from a third story rotunda type landing, never to sing again or "they'll do this to you! Your death is in your throat." Of course, he is covering his crotch with his hands, and leaps to his death right in front of the children.<p>The film then exposes us to the fact that Carlo is studying music with his brother Ricardo under the supervision of Maestro Porpora. Carlo sings, Ricardo writes music. Porpora, himself not a castrato, is historically real. This, unfortunately, is where poetic/movie license boots history out of the way - pretty much. We are set up for the rest of the movie in a scene where little Carlo, looking about eight or nine, won't sing a new piece of music for the Maestro. Ricardo has written it, and Porpora finds it excessive in flourishes and unneeded notes and vocal highlights. Carlo runs from them all in fright, until his father catches up to him and he sobs "I don't want them to do it to ME! I don't want to DIE!" His father then tells him that he must never refuse his voice to his brother - that the two of them were made for each other.<p>We jump ahead in time a bit, and Farinelli is in the private employ of King Phillip of Spain. Ricardo has come looking for him to tell him that he has finally finished "Orpheus," the opera that he began writing when the boy was initially castrated. Of course, he is removed.<p>We then jump back in time, and Carlo - not yet dubbed 'Farinelli' - is a young man travelling with his brother. He gets into a duel with a huckster of some type and his trumpet player. These two are making fun of castrati that take on the bet to keep up with the trumpeter and cannot. If one looks closely, you'll see that the little boy sitting on the stage watching is the same boy who plays little Carlo. Carlo is, of course, pissed at the two and takes up the challenge. He outsings the trumpet player, and the crowd shouts that he ground the player into "farina". Hence the name Farinelli. One other translation is that Farinelli is one form of 'young rougue' or 'rougish boy.' The duel with the trumpet player, overheard by none other than GF Handel, is somewhat open to historical debate.<p>Handel wants Farinelli to work for his theatre, but he refuses since the Maestro is not interested in his brother. This launches a "war" between the Broschi's and Handel, with Farinelli performing for everyone but him and leading to an ongoing arguement with comments on Handel's distaste for Castrati. This too, is subject to debate. Did it or did it not happen this way?</b><p>end part 1

[Paolo]

<b><i>Columbia/TriStar, Sony Pictures, VHS, 110 min., 1994-5. Italian/French/English with English subtitles. Golden Globe award winner, best foreign film. Subtitles are lasting and accurate, too! Soundtrack available on CD/cassette, Travelling Auvidis #K1005.</i><p>About the soundtrack - a computer was used to morph the voices of a current lady soprano with a male tenor, combining them into what the creators of the film imagine that a true castrato must have sounded like. If you like to listen to opera, the soundtrack is nice, however - it does STRETCH things a bit near the end when our hero performs 'Lascia ch'io pianga' by and for Handel.<p>The film opens with our hero, Farinelli - aka Carlo Broschi (1705-1782) - in costume, either after a performance, or just plain getting stoned on opium in liquid form mixed in milk. Throughout the film, we are exposed to flashbacks of running white horses. Farinelli tends to 'see' these when he gets stressed and/or nostalgic. We find out later that the reason for this is, according to the movie, is that he is told he was castrated as a little boy because his favorite horse kicked him in the testicles. More on this later.<p>We then cut to a scene of angelic looking little choirboys practicing. They are rudely interrupted by a naked teenage castrato warns little Carlo, from a third story rotunda type landing, never to sing again or "they'll do this to you! Your death is in your throat." Of course, he is covering his crotch with his hands, and leaps to his death right in front of the children.<p>The film then exposes us to the fact that Carlo is studying music with his brother Ricardo under the supervision of Maestro Porpora. Carlo sings, Ricardo writes music. Porpora, himself not a castrato, is historically real. This, unfortunately, is where poetic/movie license boots history out of the way - pretty much. We are set up for the rest of the movie in a scene where little Carlo, looking about eight or nine, won't sing a new piece of music for the Maestro. Ricardo has written it, and Porpora finds it excessive in flourishes and unneeded notes and vocal highlights. Carlo runs from them all in fright, until his father catches up to him and he sobs "I don't want them to do it to ME! I don't want to DIE!" His father then tells him that he must never refuse his voice to his brother - that the two of them were made for each other.<p>We jump ahead in time a bit, and Farinelli is in the private employ of King Phillip of Spain. Ricardo has come looking for him to tell him that he has finally finished "Orpheus," the opera that he began writing when the boy was initially castrated. Of course, he is removed.<p>We then jump back in time, and Carlo - not yet dubbed 'Farinelli' - is a young man travelling with his brother. He gets into a duel with a huckster of some type and his trumpet player. These two are making fun of castrati that take on the bet to keep up with the trumpeter and cannot. If one looks closely, you'll see that the little boy sitting on the stage watching is the same boy who plays little Carlo. Carlo is, of course, pissed at the two and takes up the challenge. He outsings the trumpet player, and the crowd shouts that he ground the player into "farina". Hence the name Farinelli. One other translation is that Farinelli is one form of 'young rougue' or 'rougish boy.' The duel with the trumpet player, overheard by none other than GF Handel, is somewhat open to historical debate.<p>Handel wants Farinelli to work for his theatre, but he refuses since the Maestro is not interested in his brother. This launches a "war" between the Broschi's and Handel, with Farinelli performing for everyone but him and leading to an ongoing arguement with comments on Handel's distaste for Castrati. This too, is subject to debate. Did it or did it not happen this way?</b><p>end part 1

[Paolo]

<b><i>Columbia/TriStar, Sony Pictures, VHS, 110 min., 1994-5. Italian/French/English with English subtitles. Golden Globe award winner, best foreign film. Subtitles are lasting and accurate, too! Soundtrack available on CD/cassette, Travelling Auvidis #K1005.</i><p>About the soundtrack - a computer was used to morph the voices of a current lady soprano with a male tenor, combining them into what the creators of the film imagine that a true castrato must have sounded like. If you like to listen to opera, the soundtrack is nice, however - it does STRETCH things a bit near the end when our hero performs 'Lascia ch'io pianga' by and for Handel.<p>The film opens with our hero, Farinelli - aka Carlo Broschi (1705-1782) - in costume, either after a performance, or just plain getting stoned on opium in liquid form mixed in milk. Throughout the film, we are exposed to flashbacks of running white horses. Farinelli tends to 'see' these when he gets stressed and/or nostalgic. We find out later that the reason for this is, according to the movie, is that he is told he was castrated as a little boy because his favorite horse kicked him in the testicles. More on this later.<p>We then cut to a scene of angelic looking little choirboys practicing. They are rudely interrupted by a naked teenage castrato warns little Carlo, from a third story rotunda type landing, never to sing again or "they'll do this to you! Your death is in your throat." Of course, he is covering his crotch with his hands, and leaps to his death right in front of the children.<p>The film then exposes us to the fact that Carlo is studying music with his brother Ricardo under the supervision of Maestro Porpora. Carlo sings, Ricardo writes music. Porpora, himself not a castrato, is historically real. This, unfortunately, is where poetic/movie license boots history out of the way - pretty much. We are set up for the rest of the movie in a scene where little Carlo, looking about eight or nine, won't sing a new piece of music for the Maestro. Ricardo has written it, and Porpora finds it excessive in flourishes and unneeded notes and vocal highlights. Carlo runs from them all in fright, until his father catches up to him and he sobs "I don't want them to do it to ME! I don't want to DIE!" His father then tells him that he must never refuse his voice to his brother - that the two of them were made for each other.<p>We jump ahead in time a bit, and Farinelli is in the private employ of King Phillip of Spain. Ricardo has come looking for him to tell him that he has finally finished "Orpheus," the opera that he began writing when the boy was initially castrated. Of course, he is removed.<p>We then jump back in time, and Carlo - not yet dubbed 'Farinelli' - is a young man travelling with his brother. He gets into a duel with a huckster of some type and his trumpet player. These two are making fun of castrati that take on the bet to keep up with the trumpeter and cannot. If one looks closely, you'll see that the little boy sitting on the stage watching is the same boy who plays little Carlo. Carlo is, of course, pissed at the two and takes up the challenge. He outsings the trumpet player, and the crowd shouts that he ground the player into "farina". Hence the name Farinelli. One other translation is that Farinelli is one form of 'young rougue' or 'rougish boy.' The duel with the trumpet player, overheard by none other than GF Handel, is somewhat open to historical debate.<p>Handel wants Farinelli to work for his theatre, but he refuses since the Maestro is not interested in his brother. This launches a "war" between the Broschi's and Handel, with Farinelli performing for everyone but him and leading to an ongoing arguement with comments on Handel's distaste for Castrati. This too, is subject to debate. Did it or did it not happen this way?</b><p>end part 1

[Paolo]

<b><i>Columbia/TriStar, Sony Pictures, VHS, 110 min., 1994-5. Italian/French/English with English subtitles. Golden Globe award winner, best foreign film. Subtitles are lasting and accurate, too! Soundtrack available on CD/cassette, Travelling Auvidis #K1005.</i><p>About the soundtrack - a computer was used to morph the voices of a current lady soprano with a male tenor, combining them into what the creators of the film imagine that a true castrato must have sounded like. If you like to listen to opera, the soundtrack is nice, however - it does STRETCH things a bit near the end when our hero performs 'Lascia ch'io pianga' by and for Handel.<p>The film opens with our hero, Farinelli - aka Carlo Broschi (1705-1782) - in costume, either after a performance, or just plain getting stoned on opium in liquid form mixed in milk. Throughout the film, we are exposed to flashbacks of running white horses. Farinelli tends to 'see' these when he gets stressed and/or nostalgic. We find out later that the reason for this is, according to the movie, is that he is told he was castrated as a little boy because his favorite horse kicked him in the testicles. More on this later.<p>We then cut to a scene of angelic looking little choirboys practicing. They are rudely interrupted by a naked teenage castrato warns little Carlo, from a third story rotunda type landing, never to sing again or "they'll do this to you! Your death is in your throat." Of course, he is covering his crotch with his hands, and leaps to his death right in front of the children.<p>The film then exposes us to the fact that Carlo is studying music with his brother Ricardo under the supervision of Maestro Porpora. Carlo sings, Ricardo writes music. Porpora, himself not a castrato, is historically real. This, unfortunately, is where poetic/movie license boots history out of the way - pretty much. We are set up for the rest of the movie in a scene where little Carlo, looking about eight or nine, won't sing a new piece of music for the Maestro. Ricardo has written it, and Porpora finds it excessive in flourishes and unneeded notes and vocal highlights. Carlo runs from them all in fright, until his father catches up to him and he sobs "I don't want them to do it to ME! I don't want to DIE!" His father then tells him that he must never refuse his voice to his brother - that the two of them were made for each other.<p>We jump ahead in time a bit, and Farinelli is in the private employ of King Phillip of Spain. Ricardo has come looking for him to tell him that he has finally finished "Orpheus," the opera that he began writing when the boy was initially castrated. Of course, he is removed.<p>We then jump back in time, and Carlo - not yet dubbed 'Farinelli' - is a young man travelling with his brother. He gets into a duel with a huckster of some type and his trumpet player. These two are making fun of castrati that take on the bet to keep up with the trumpeter and cannot. If one looks closely, you'll see that the little boy sitting on the stage watching is the same boy who plays little Carlo. Carlo is, of course, pissed at the two and takes up the challenge. He outsings the trumpet player, and the crowd shouts that he ground the player into "farina". Hence the name Farinelli. One other translation is that Farinelli is one form of 'young rougue' or 'rougish boy.' The duel with the trumpet player, overheard by none other than GF Handel, is somewhat open to historical debate.<p>Handel wants Farinelli to work for his theatre, but he refuses since the Maestro is not interested in his brother. This launches a "war" between the Broschi's and Handel, with Farinelli performing for everyone but him and leading to an ongoing arguement with comments on Handel's distaste for Castrati. This too, is subject to debate. Did it or did it not happen this way?</b><p>end part 1