a truly wonderful epic with brilliant story structure

Rating: Null/10 (7 January 1999)

What a delight to be reminded that movies can be an art form, and that Sid Fields does not dictate the requirements for every script that will work. This movie does a great job of sweeping us through three centuries of history, without ever letting us lose our place. The auction scene becomes more and more meaningful as we start to recognize the characters from the violin's history represented among the bidders by their descendents. And the simple use of the line "Don't let me forget this." in the dramatic payoff is just, well, brilliant. A truly great film.