Shine Review
by D&S Associates (dsassoc AT neponset DOT com)January 21st, 1997
SHINE
A film review by Laura & Robin Clifford Copyright 1997 Laura & Robin Clifford
(This review is an excerpt from Reeling, a movie review show running on Boston Cable TV, hosted by Laura and Robin Clifford. Note that the film descriptions vary in completeness due to the fact that they're actually intros for running film clips.)
"Shine" is the incredible story of Australian pianist David Helfgott, a man pushed by his father and his love of music to excel, then held back by that same man when his success results in scholarships to study in America, then London's Royal Academy of Music. Armin Mueller-Stahl is the Holocaust-scarred Peter Helfgott whose pain at having seen his family destroyed causes him to react with abusive behavior when his own son wishes to leave the family nest. David is played from his teen years until his breakdown in his twenties by Noah Taylor ("Flirting") and in his forties, when he's saved by the love of Gillian (Lynn Redgrave) by Geoffrey Rush.
LAURA:
"Shine" is the best feature film I've seen so far this year (although I'm still totally enamored of the documentary "Paradise Lost" in my number 1 slot). Scott Hicks, an Australian director more known for his documenaries, has done a masterful job presenting the life of a tortured pianist to the screen. He's assembled his film as a three movement concerto, first taking his time to establish the very young David Helfgott and David's family background, then going into overdrive as David Helfgott as a young man suffers through the conflict of how his success and the pursuit of his dreams tears him away from his family and finally slowing the pace again as the older David is brought back into real life from an institution by the love of several women.
Armin Mueller-Stahl is Peter Helfgott, the sterm family patriarch who urges his son to excellence, only to become abusive when his son yearns to take advantage of a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Music leaving his family behind. Mueller-Stahl manages to walk a fine line and remains sympathetic as a Holocaust survivor who's seen his family destroyed and will go to all lengths to keep his own family intact even as he destroys his own son's sanity in the process. Hicks underscores Peter's character strongly visually - when David does leave, Peter burns his scrapbooks chronicalling David's success and we see the flames in Peter's glasses echo the Holocaust. Peter's wife is first presented silent and in shadow, where she remains for the most part due to the power of his conviction.
Geoffrey Rush is astounding as the eldest of the three David Helfgott portrayers. The strange rhythms of his language (both verbal and body) are right on target - he's still communicating at a very intellectual level - one just has to adjust to where he's coming from. He works well with Lynn Redgrave to adjust the hyper quality down a knotch at a time. Rush also learned how to key the piano (although it's the real Helfgott we're hearing on the soundtrack) correctly so that a double wouldn't have to be used! That's applying oneself for a role.
Noah Taylor is also fine as the troubled younger man whose attempt at independence results in an emotional breakdown because of guilt. His intensity and nerdiness gradually drop away as he becomes accustomed to college life under the tutilage of John Geilgud.
Lynn Redgraves comes into the film very late but still manages to make a strong impression as the woman whose curiousity and concern allow her to see beyond David's strangeness. Her Gillian is a strong woman who delights in life's pleasures.
British actress Goggie Withers adds a nice grace note as the younger David's friend who supports his decision to break away from his father.
"Shine" has a masterfully complementary score that accentuates the story and the classical highlights of the film. The scene where David plays Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 3" is simply one of the most powerfully editted sequences I've seen in a film this year.
A+
ROBIN:
Laura and I saw "Shine" a few weeks ago, so I have had the opportunity to ponder this film and the rest of the movies we've seen this year. We still have a number of films to see before the year's end, but, even so, I declare "Shine" to be the best film of the year!
Start with a fascinating true story of the live of pianist David Helfgott. Add an intelligent screenplay by director Scott Hicks and terrific performances by Geoffrey Rush as the elder David, Noah Taylor as David the younger, and especially Armin Mueller-Stahl as David's father - my hands down choice for best supporting actor for 1996; a bevy of strong supporting characters, the likes of Lynn Redgrave and Sir John Gielgud; and the best classical music I have seen/heard in a film, ever.
What you get is a powerful character study of a musical genius nearly destroyed by the good intentions and misguided love of his father.
Following the life of Helfgott as a young piano prodigy up through the emotional break with his beloved father, his fall into madness from guilt over the break, to his recovery and subsequent return to music, "Shine" is an extraordinary example of top notch filmmaking.
Praising the three who played Helfgott at various stages is easy. The threes, Alex Rafalowcz, Taylor and Rush are beautifully cast as the genius at the various life stagess. The transition from one to the next is seamless because it feels like the same person. Geoffrey Rush, especially, stands out as the elder Helfgot. He is on screen for only 20-30 minutes of the film, but makes such a strong impression, his performance feels like a starring role.
Armin Mueller-Stahl is, in a film steeped in brilliance, the best thing in this movie, and that's saying something. As Peter Helfgott, David's father, he displays such a range of emotion - love, jealousy, pettiness, selfishness and confusion - so effectively, that I can't think of a better performance this year. You, the viewer, end up both feeling sorry for and loathing the man at the same time. This is no small feat for an actor. Mueller-Stahl pulls it off brilliantly.
The musical selections, especially Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 as the film's focal point, are magnificent. The Rach piece, played as David falls into madness, is the singularly most stunning visual and audio music experience that I have had watching a film. The music is played by Helfgott himself, but the actors are the ones who appear to be playing. It is as beautiful a crafting of movie magic as I have ever seen.
For award purposes, "Shine" deserves, right now, best picture, direction, screesnplay, supporting actor and, maybe, best actor for Geoffrey Rush. High praise for a film, but deservedly so.
After much thinking, I have to agree with Laura and give "Shine" an A+, my first for 1996! Would I say it's worth it? Yeah.
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