Let me tell you, this film blew me away. The theme of Vitus is "the necessity of freedom to pursue your values." Vitus, a Swiss film released in 2006, is about a young piano prodigy. His mother is so overbearing that he is forced to seek freedom in order to nurture his talents on his own. Though the film is quite long at 1h40, we watch the progression of Vitus' relationship with his parents as they try to best raise their 'wunderkind' -- all the while, he tries to find a way to explore his intelligence and creativity through his own choices (with the help of his wonderful grandpa). Vitus, as a character, is incredibly charming and it is a pleasure to watch his mind at work. The 12-year old Vitus is played by Swiss piano-prodigy Teo Gheorghiu, who brings quite a spark and talent to the role.
Though there are a few minute things I would change about the movie (such as completely cutting out the sub-story with a ~romantic interest~), it is pretty much exactly what I look for in a film: The movie has a Romantic plot and an affirmable protagonist. It is extremely well-executed and well acted, there are exciting/surprising elements that create conflict in the plot, and there is complete catharsis in the end, where the conflicts are resolved and Vitus has succeeded in his goals. I have never cried so many tears of joy at a movie before. When I saw it, I was reminded of the part in Atlas Shrugged where Dagny sees Kay Ludlow's performances in the valley:
"It was an experience she had not known since childhood -- the experience of being held for three hours by a play that told a story she had not seen before, in lines she had not heard, uttering a theme that had not been picked from the hand-me-downs of the centuries. It was the forgotten delight of being held in rapt attention by the reigns of the ingenious, the unexpected, the logical, the purposeful, the new..."
I cannot promote this wonderful film enough. Even from the first viewing, Vitus catapulted its way onto my list of 'top 5 films of all time'. Vitus is a must-see.
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4 comments:
We just watched this and it was lots of fun.
> ". . . worthy of a second viewing."
For me, that is an important test of the attraction of a particular work of art. It applies to a painting I can examine again and again, as well as to popular fiction. Even mystery stories--the point of which is supposedly uncovering the murderer--can be read again and again over the years with great pleasure. The only books I keep in my fiction library are those I expect to read at least once more in the years that remain.
Thanks so much for the recommendation; I just watched the movie. Your review and identification of the theme are spot-on. I loved Vitus!
I really enjoyed Vitus also. An impressive film about how a parents dream may not be the child's. It also was fun to watch from the perspective of wishing I was like him when I was younger to do what he could.
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