On L List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Le violon rouge (1998)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
6/19
6/19:
A couple of months ago, I read somewhere online that Samuel L. Jackson ranked Le violon rouge among his top 20 out of
111 films that he starred in.
I had seen or was familiar with more than 75% of his ouevre prior to 2000, but this one escaped my notice and wondered
how I had overlooked it. After completing the film, I can now see why it's a good role and something different for him.
Inspired by the story of the 1720 Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius violin, Le violon rouge is technically not a Samuel L.
Jackson movie as the story is bigger than him. It's about the fictional history of a red Bussotti violin that was later
revealed to be varnished with the blood of a violin-maker's wife who passed away during labor which saw itself get
exchanged by various owners across continents for over four centuries.
In this manner, the story becomes an epic as it's told in five different vignettes through six different languages. Once Morritz
authenticates the Red Violin, he begins to appreciate its historical value. That's why he stole the instrument to give it a
proper place: in the hands of an active player, not to be stored away like a museum piece, effectively turning auctions into a
joke. Then again, I question this move because sooner or later the truth will be found out and Morritz won't look good as a
result.
All in all, buoyed by great acting, music, and cinematography, the intricately woven plot makes Le violon rouge an
unforgettable film.