A finely woven masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (6 March 2000)

I won't give you a plot summary. You can get that anywhere. But I will give you what the movie flows, feels, and captivates. Well, from my perspective anyway.
The Red Violin takes you through 3 main stories, with two more narratives that are used to tie them together. The fortune teller tells the story of the Violin from the past, viewing the future through prediction. At the same time the appraisers of today derive the past through scientific discovery. The three central stories are very different from each other, and the switching between can seem abrupt. But it's meant to. The shock of Chinese story keeps the audience from getting complacent.
Although others might have found the characters in each story not fleshed out enough, it is my opinion that they are supporting characters only. They are not the story, the Violin is.
If you want to see Stevan Segal in a movie, don't see this one. There is no great action. There is no giant climax. But the scenery and music is masterful. The mood is haunting. And the story is compelling.
This movie is a good one to rent on a quiet evening when you can curl up and have no distractions. The movie is one that you have to pay attention to in order to get the full effect. But when it ends you can't bring yourself to turn on the lights again.