The Red Violin – Meridian Collection / 2008 Lionsgate / 130 Minutes / http://www.lionsgate.com
The Red Violin is a 1998 film that stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Flemyng, and Christoph Koncz. It discusses the history of the titular object, from its creation in 1681, through 1793 Vienna, 1890s Oxford, 1960s Shanghai, and finally 1998 Montreal. In the film, the violin is called red because it was painted with the blood of the maker’s wife, who died during childbirth. The story begins with the telling of Anna Rudolfi’s (the violin-maker’s wife) future by Cesca, Anna’s servant. The tarot says that Anna will live for a long time, that there will be disease and suffering surrounding Anna (as the violin), that there will be seduction by a character that is seen to be a devil, that there will be tough times ahead, and that there will be a rebirth after the difficult times.
The different time periods all correspond to the tarot cards, and it is through the creation of this narrative that the film becomes as complex and as interesting as it ultimately is. As was the case with Diva, the Meridian Collection version of The Red Violin includes a number of bonus features. Of course, the film print is cleaned up (despite the fact that the film is only a decade old, this print looks much sharper than the original one committed to either VHS or early DVD). However, this is not the best feature, as the audio commentary with co-writers Francois Girard and Don McKellar give individuals a little more reason why the specific periods in history were picked, along with more information regarding each of the Tarot card readings.
“The Auction Block†is another solid addition to the film, as it describes exactly how in demand some of these early violins are, at times even topping the million dollar mark. Charles Morritz (Jackson’s) character ultimately finds out the complete history of the violin, and is stuck in a conundrum – should ey tell perspective buyers this history or just keep things quiet? With the additional features, Morritz’s decision is made all the more grave; individuals get a sense of how in demand these violins are, and are given further information about Morritz’s logic by Girard and McKellar. What was an impressive film in 1998 is made all the more amazing through the inclusion of these extra features in the Meridian Collection edition. Even if you have a VHS or DVD copy of the film, pick up this edition.
Rating: 8.0/10
