Basic
Info
Title:
Farinelli
Genre:
Drama
Country:
Italy, Belgium, France
Language:
Italian, French
Running
time: 111 minutes
Release
date: 7 December 1994 (France), 16 March 1995
(Italy)
Staff
Director:
Gérard Corbiau
Producer:
Véra Belmont
Written
by: Marcel Beaulieu, Andrée Corbiau, Gérard
Corbiau
Music:
Johann Adolf Hasse, Nicola Porpora
Cinematography:
Walther van den Ende
Edited
by: Joëlle Hache
Cast
Stefano Dionisi as Carlo Maria
Broschi
Enrico Lo Verso as Riccardo Broschi
Elsa Zylberstein as Alexandra
Jeroen Krabbé as George Frideric
Handel
Caroline Cellier as Margaret Hunter
Renaud du Peloux de Saint Romain as
Benedict
Omero Antonutti as Nicola Porpora
Marianne Basler as Comtesse Mauer
Pier Paolo Capponi as Broschi
(Father)
Graham Valentine as Prince of Wales
Jacques Boudet as Philip V
Summary
Farinelli is a 1994 biographical
drama film directed by Gérard Corbiau and starred by Stefano Dionisi, Enrico Lo
Verso, Elsa Zylberstein and Jeroen Krabbé. The film focuses on the life and
musical career of the 18th-century Italian opera singer Carlo Broschi, known as
Farinelli, who is considered the greatest castrato singer of all time, as well
as his relationship with his brother and composer Riccardo Broschi.
Plot
The film begins with a recollection of the childhood of the famous castrato Farinelli, Carlo Broschi, as a singer in the church choir. A newly castrated boy runs and warns Carlo that his voice will lead to death, and then commits suicide. Carlo is hurt and refuses to sing a song written by his older brother Riccardo for his voice teacher, Nicola Porpora.
After that, Carlo becomes famous and receives a letter from Handel saying he wants to hear Carlo sing in Dresden. A long time ago, while Handel was riding in his carriage, he accidentally heard Farinelli sing, and he asked Carlo to come to England to perform, but his older brother, Riccardo, asked Handel to accompany himself. Handel laughed at Ricardo and left after insulting Carlo.
In Dresden, Handel meets Carlo shortly before the stage's curtain rises and tells him that the King of England wants to hear his song. Unnerved by Handel's request, Carlo faints on stage and waits for him in vain after Handel leaves.
Carlo is soon invited to London by the young Alexandra Lerris. Handel's Covent Garden opera house was run by Carlo's old vocal teacher Porpora, and is bankrupting the nearby Opera of the Nobility.
Carlo begins to realize that Riccardo's highly decorative compositions lack true artistry. He covets Handel's operas and tries to impress him. Alexandra, who is in love with Carlo, steals some of Handel's music for Carlo's performance. The relationship between the two brothers deteriorates.
Handel visits Riccardo's house to find his stolen music and confronts him and hinders the relationship between the two brothers. Beguiled by Handel, Riccardo reveals that Carlo was a great singer as a child and when his father died, he illegally castrated him after taking drugs to Carlo, fearing that he lose his brother's voice.
That evening, Handel meets Farinelli in the backstage. He tells Farinelli the secret of his castration and allows him to sing the stolen music. Shocked and heartbroken, Carlo sings Handel's Aria “Lascia ch'io pianga” very beautifully, and Handel faints.
Movie
Review
“The Greatest Singer Of
All Time: A Haunting Romantic Film”
“A truly excellent
historical reconstruction, and a brilliant film!”
“Beautiful”
“Very well done and worth
watching”
“A wonderful rendition of
18th century European art life”
“A piece of Art”
Interesting
stories about the film
1. Farinelli's singing voice in the
film was made by mixing the voices of male and female singers. The male voice
was an American countertenor Derek Lee Ragin, and the female voice was from a
Polish coloratura soprano Ewa Malas-Godlewska.
2. This film was the official entry
of Belgium to the Best Foreign Language category for the 67th Academy Awards.
Thank you.
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