Violon rouge, Le (1998)

reviewed by
Lars Lindahl


by Lars Lindahl
Directed by Francois Girard

Written by Francois Girard and Don McKellar.

Starring Carlo Cecchi, Irene Grazioli, Christoph Koncz, Jean-Luc Bideau, Jason Flemyng, Greta Scacchi, Sylvia Chang, Liu Zifeng, Don McKellar, Colm Feore, and Samuel L. Jackson.

The titular violin is more than just an instrument. Any object that survives for centuries and plays an integral role in the lives of numerous people from numerous cultures is something more than just a piece of wood and some strings. In The Red Violin, the violin is a manipulative device which society revolves around. The beautiful violin, as it passes into the hands of several different kinds of humans, is coveted, cherished, envied, and rivaled to a point where it controls the emotions and actions of the individuals around it. There is something uniquely vivacious in such an inanimate object.

The Red Violin is not only a film which celebrates the power of music in past and present society, but it also, using the violin as a central focus, examines cultures from around the world, just how different and similar they are. The similarity is that music is an influential factor of their lives, however the motive of why it is so influential differentiates the cultures. Some people desire the violin because they desire money, fame, and ultimate power. Others lust for the violin because it is a way of expressing their true self. A way to speak out to others that is not possible with the use of words or gestures. The violin, which enters the lives of the supporting characters, is almost like a genie in a lamp. Inside it contains the answers to all of their problems. However, when these victims get their hands on something so potent the outcome is either total greed or grief.

This Canadian film, from co-writer/director Francois Girard, parallels the creation of the violin in Italy to its highly anticipated auction in Montreal, Quebec. At first, we know there is something special about the violin. Created by a skilled Italian merchant in the 1600's, the instrument is originally made for his newborn son. However, when his wife and child die during the delivery, the merchant finds the most obscure way of putting his late family into his work. In Quebec, during present time, many different nationalities including the Chinese, Italian, French, and English are bidding top dollars for the merchant's work. From these two scenes, we know the violin has traveled a long way before it has reached the auction. The Red Violin tells of its journey.

The film is split into five sections, each in a different language because the settings are in different countries. This type of universal style reminded me of Jim Jarmusch's creative Night on Earth, which follows the lives of taxi drivers in different countries. Unfortunately like Night on Earth, The Red Violin contains some memorable segments and some awful segments. The parts with the more famous actors, Greta Scacchi and Samuel L. Jackson were both dull and banal especially in comparison to the remaining segments, such as the Austrian boy pressured into performing well and the Chinese Communist woman who secretly adored Western music.

The Red Violin frequently displays the violin staring back at you with a particularly creepy appearance. The violin, which gradually gets more fragile as it travels through time, stands out from others of the same structure for some inexplicable reason, maybe because we know of it's energetic past or of its odd Frankenstein-like creation. For some mysterious reason, it is frightening to watch.

Grade: ***1/2 (out of four)
Lars Attacks!
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© 2000 Lars Lindahl
by Lars Lindahl

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