History Through The Eyes Of A Violin

Rating: 5/10 (27 September 2008)

In many respects this is a rather unusual movie. In fact, you could even say that it isn't a single movie - rather, it's several shorts combined together, with the single connecting thread being the red violin that we watch change hands over the course of a little over 300 years. Built in Italy in 1681, the stories follow the violin through France, Austria, England, Hong Kong, Communist China and finally to an auction house in Montreal, Canada where it's to be sold. The nature of the movie being what it is, some of the stories are stronger than others. The one that really stood out powerfully for me was the depiction of the Cultural Revolution in China.
There's a somewhat effective mystery that also holds things together. In 1681, the violin maker's wife went to a fortune teller before she died in childbirth, and the movie makes clear that somehow her fortune is being fulfilled through the violin's travels. I had an advantage coming in, because I knew the basic story and so the explanation of the violin's connection to the woman came as no surprise, but to give credit to the writers, had I not known the story coming in I don't think there's any way I would have figured out the mystery.
It's hard to rate the performances here. Again, the nature of the movie worked against being able to identify anyone as the "star" of the movie. The biggest name was probably Samuel L. Jackson, but he really didn't have a major part until the last half hour or so. I wasn't really keeping track, but if memory serves, the most screen time probably went to Colm Feore, but his role as the auctioneer didn't really stretch him.
Overall, I'd characterize this as a movie that really didn't pull me in, but one with a few parts that I thought were very well done. In all honesty, though, I don't think I'd be tempted to watch it again. 5/10