IMDb RATING
6.8/10
7.4K
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The story of castrato opera singer Carlo Broschi, who enthralled 18th-century European audiences under his stage name Farinelli.The story of castrato opera singer Carlo Broschi, who enthralled 18th-century European audiences under his stage name Farinelli.The story of castrato opera singer Carlo Broschi, who enthralled 18th-century European audiences under his stage name Farinelli.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 6 wins & 4 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBoth male and female voices were combined to create the sound of Farinelli's singing voice. The male voice was Derek Lee Ragin, a British countertenor and the female Ewa MaÅas-Godlewska, a Polish mezzo-soprano.
- GoofsLIGHTING. In scenes that show stage lights and chandeliers, the focus on them is softened, but it can still be seen that the "lamps" and "candles" are in fact far too steady, and too smokeless, to be or to contain live flame. Gaslight was not brought into theatres until just after 1800 (in England), and limelight -- with real quicklime -- around 1820. Also, some outdoor lighting -- outside palaces, etc. -- is obviously too bright, blue- or green-shaded, smokeless, and sharp-edged to come from a bonfire.
- Quotes
Carlo Broschi: I admire your nerve, madame, in daring to defy Handel.
Countess Mauer: Women are very strong, signor Farinelli. Men's weaknesses make it necessary.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 52nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (1995)
- SoundtracksOmbra fedele anch'io
[Dario's Solo: Act II, Scene XI, from Opera "Idaspe"]
Composed by Riccardo Broschi, Libretto by G.P. Candi and Domenico Lalli (1730, Venice)
Vocals performed by Ewa Malas-Godlewska (Soprano) and Derek Lee Ragin (Countertenor)
Featured review
Enchanting to the senses, but short on content...
'Farinelli' is a film well worth seeing for its memorable visual imagery and its unique soundtrack. Mid-film scenes set against the decadence of 17th-century European court life make for charming costumes and sets. Contrasting visuals of rural Italy provide their own pastoral allure that is no less charming. Moreover, the film rises admirably to the daunting technical and artistic task of reproducing the tone of a castrato voice, considering that the musical world has not seen or heard a castrato singer for more than a century.
'Ah,' you say, 'sounds gorgeous...but what's it about?' Enter Carlo and Riccardo Broschi, Italian brothers who share musical aspirations: Riccardo composes, and Carlo sings what he writes. Carlo is a gifted castrato, but Riccardo is a mediocre composer at best. In time, Carlo becomes the renowned Farinelli while Riccardo struggles with his lack of talent/recognition as well as the troublesome fact that Carlo is his meal ticket.
The simple story line masks rich potential (think 'Amadeus'), but 'Farinelli' is hampered by shallow character development and its inexplicable tendency to substitute all-too-frequent sex scenes for emotional power. Without the full realization of the characters or the ramifications of the plot, the film struggles to keep a viewer engaged, at least in my own case. The beautiful pageantry of 'Farinelli' fails to compensate for its hollow dramatic core.
In short? Not bad, but a better music movie is 'Amadeus'(among others), and a better movie with beautiful Italian visuals is 'A Room With A View' (among others).
'Ah,' you say, 'sounds gorgeous...but what's it about?' Enter Carlo and Riccardo Broschi, Italian brothers who share musical aspirations: Riccardo composes, and Carlo sings what he writes. Carlo is a gifted castrato, but Riccardo is a mediocre composer at best. In time, Carlo becomes the renowned Farinelli while Riccardo struggles with his lack of talent/recognition as well as the troublesome fact that Carlo is his meal ticket.
The simple story line masks rich potential (think 'Amadeus'), but 'Farinelli' is hampered by shallow character development and its inexplicable tendency to substitute all-too-frequent sex scenes for emotional power. Without the full realization of the characters or the ramifications of the plot, the film struggles to keep a viewer engaged, at least in my own case. The beautiful pageantry of 'Farinelli' fails to compensate for its hollow dramatic core.
In short? Not bad, but a better music movie is 'Amadeus'(among others), and a better movie with beautiful Italian visuals is 'A Room With A View' (among others).
helpful•134
- Anonymous-2
- Nov 18, 1999
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Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,573,411
- Gross worldwide
- $1,600,226
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