In order to conceal his homosexuality, revered Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Richard Chamberlain) marries Nina (Glenda Jackson), a nymphomaniac.  From the start, it is a disastrous match the results in madness.

CRITIQUE

The Music Lovers may not be a totally accurate representation of Tchaikovsky’s life, but it is a dazzling piece of filmmaking that, with a few adjustments, could have been played entirely without dialogue.  Indeed, the most dramatic scenes in the picture have no words, simply the emotions and movements of the actors with Tchaikovsky’s glorious music as background.

Much of the movie consists of dream and fantasy sequences, which prompted my wife to comment, “I feel I’m watching somebody’s acid trip”.

“Actually,” I replied, “most of [director] Ken Russell’s movies look like acid trips, but he sure knows how to tell a story.”

Russell’s camera and editing techniques in The Music Lovers may often appear bizarre, but they never intrude upon or hinder the story being told.

The Music Lovers is about people’s fantasies. 

Long tortured by the untimely and brutal death of his mother, Tchaikovsky tries to deny his sexual leanings, burying himself in his music.  At the same time, he dreams of an ideal spiritual love with a woman. 

Nina goes through many sexual encounters, fantasizing that she will find her “Prince Charming”.  When her marriage to Tchaikovsky proves to be a debacle, she, with the help of her mother, brings a succession of men into her bedroom, ultimately winding up in an asylum.

Another key character in Tchaikovsky’s life is Madame von Meck (Izabella Telezynska), a wealthy widow who serves as the composer’s patroness, loves him from afar and, through letters, becomes his chief confidant.  However, when Tchaikovsky’s former male lover (Christopher Gable) informs her of his “shocking” sexual background she drops the composer immediately.

This climatic sequence, set during a gala party, is a perfect example of how the director conveys every nuance, every bit of drama without a word of dialogue and only the Tchaikovsky music, conducted by Andre Previn, on the soundtrack.

Richard Chamberlain is fine as the tormented Tchaikovsky, but it is Glenda Jackson, perhaps the bravest actress of her generation, who delivers the most haunting performance, that of a woman descending into madness. 

Russell and his collaborators have done an excellent job of recreating Czarist Russia of the mid-19th century.

THE VIDEO

As part of MGM’s “Limited Edition Collection,” this is a “burned,” as opposed to a “pressed” DVD, and is manufactured from the best elements available.

The widescreen picture is crisp, rich in color and has no significant problems.

THE AUDIO

The Dolby Digital Sound is crisp and clear.

THE EXTRAS

The film’s Theatrical Trailer.

FINAL THOUGHT

The story might be disturbing, but Ken Russell’s The Music Lovers is brilliant filmmaking.