Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach

Amidst economic difficulty, political intrigue and the deaths of many children, Bach composes the greatest music the world had ever known. Discussing this film, Deleuze spoke of Bach's music as a struggle against the separation of sacred and profane, adding: "Only the act of resistance resists death, either as a work of art or as human struggle." But if, as he concluded, "there is no work of art that does not call on a people who does not yet exist", is this a struggle to resist, or to invent?

If your main subject is music, then you have to underline it somehow, and the directors do that by reversing the sound-image relationship of the mainstream cinema: normally scenes change but sound seems to remain monolithic, but in this movie images are monolithic so that we can experience the music. And through that daring formalism ironically we obtain a movie which becomes a music piece.

Mostly just people in period costumes, sitting in period locations, playing the music of Bach. Between pieces, there are brief floods of rather dry biographical information. Once in a while there will be some actual acting, but it doesn't happen often and it doesn't last long. If you really adore Bach, you might like this, but then why not just pick up a nice album collection with some good liner notes? And if you're not into Bach, this movie probably won't inspire you to get into his work.

A wonderful documentary about Bach. If you're looking for a slew of facts, or a compelling narrative, this isn't the place, but if you want the highlights told through the eyes of his wife with 90 minutes of wonderful music there's no better place than this film. The visuals could be more dynamic but the pacing and mix of music and facts is wonderful.

Okay, I don't get this one at all. I like Bach fine, but this is literally just his music with very dry biographical information being narrated terribly throughout. I can't imagine this movie being made in a less interesting way. Bach's music is good so it's not a total loss, but just listen to his songs and read his wikipedia page and you'll probably have a way better experience than this.

film formed baroque

Biopics irritate me, and music biopics irritate me even more. This one does not. There's barely anything narrative or even cinematic about it - it's pretty much a collection of static scenes of Gustav Leonhardt and co. performing Bach on location in period costume with period instruments. There's a bit of dry, dispassionate narration of biographical detail interspersed between selections, but mostly it's just an excuse to listen to Bach. As it should be.

It's rather quaint, really--events in Bach's life recounted by means of a fictional diary by Anna Madgalena Bach, and acted out by great musicians dressed up in period costumes. Of course, these musicians are some of the greatest Bach interpreters of the last 100 years, led by the incomparable Gustav Leonhardt. (The choral singing, on the other hand...) I love Bach's music unreasonably, so I loved this. It may not be for everyone, though.

Unwatchable to be perfectly honest. This is prolly largely because I'm a pleb who still hasn't gotten into classical music. But still, jfc. Hope the next ones in the Straub/Huillet Mubi retrospective fares better, been curious about them.

A clever deconstruction of the biopic film, T.C.O.A.M.B raises many questions about representation and deftly interrogates the complex yet highly ambiguous relationship we have as cultural subjects engaging with the long distant past understood through facts and recollections rather than direct experience. The distancing devices employed by S/H make us keenly aware that this is an artificial reconstruction, but the overall effect is strangely transportive and the imagery is beautiful.

I don't have enough love for classical music to really enjoy this movie. This movie is a history of Johann Sebastian Bach told through vignettes of his music. Most of these are performed at famous churches or music halls in Europe. I am sure for fans of the genre, at the time, this might have been a wonderful way to better understand the maestro's life while taking in narration from his wife. I wouldn't recommend this movie to other classical dunces like me though.

daniele and jean-marie do for music what bresson did for people. it's actually more nuanced than that: bresson dealt with people, and incidentally with music, where these two directors dealt with music, and incidentally with people. both of them capture a feeling of existential emptiness through their precise baroque compositions. i wasn't really interested in the story or the details of the narration, but i greatly appreciated the extensive selection of bach.

10 Temmuz, Bilgi Sinema, Galatasaray/ Tezgah Kitapevi

10 temmuz 2014, bilgi sinema &

Filled with surprising & thought-provoking choices by Huillet/Straub. They've gone to great pains to shoot on location at the historical site of each scene. Musical performances are real, using location sound and rare period instruments. Yet the sound seems deliberately primitive, monaural and slightly distorted, with occasional mic pops. The cast don't act so much as recite, the long B&W static shots seem washed-out, and so on. Not a normal biopic; a questioning of the idea of "authenticity".

You don't need to make a life's story "cinematic". The only fiction needed is some dramatic scenes and a fictitious diary. Let the composer's music be played in full. Place biographical information in when felt necessary. The result here is an exceptional film.

Much of it is just Bach's music, which Huillet & Straub visualize using period costumes and sets and clavichords, but the interpretations aren't wholly authentic. The rest is Anna Magdalena's Chronicle narrated, and honestly, it's an extremely dry text - so unless you're thirsty for dispassionate trivia about J.S's relationship with the town council, the fate of each of his 20 children, and so on - it's not enthralling. Mildly informative docu-musical with a great soundtrack.

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