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Amazon.co.uk Review
From its stunning opening sequence, featuring Georgina Hale (who plays the wife of Gustav Mahler in this Ken Russell film) isolated in full mummy wrap and writhing with erotic yearning to the lush strains of her husband's music, Mahler distinguishes itself as the most poetic and archetypal of Russell's great-composer works. A kind of cinematic response to Luchino Visconti's 1971 adaptation of Death in Venice, in which Dirk Bogarde plays a Mahler-esque composer in search of beauty in the plague-filled city, Mahler stars Robert Powell as the great Jewish romantic from 19th-century Vienna, drafting enormous symphonic works in the midst of rising anti-Semitism. Converting to Christianity as a means of survival, Mahler carries on with his work but experiences an erosion of his health and sense of identity. Meanwhile, his self-effacing spouse represses her own creative drives to keep the resident genius afloat, plugging every leak and receding all but invisible into the woodwork. While the film is the least ostentatious of Russell's movies about music, it is hardly conventional--a mix of lyrical tableaux and comic fantasy that adds up to a stirring, dream-like experience. --Tom Keogh
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Anamorphic Widescreen, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: From its stunning opening sequence, featuring Georgina Hale (who plays the wife of Gustav Mahler in this Ken Russell film) isolated in full mummy wrap and writhing with erotic yearning to the lush strains of her husband's music, Mahler distinguishes itself as the most poetic and archetypal of Russell's great-composer works. A kind of cinematic response to Luchino Visconti's 1971 adaptation of Death in Venice, in which Dirk Bogarde plays a Mahler-esque composer in search of beauty in the plague-filled city, Mahler stars Robert Powell as the great Jewish romantic from 19th-century Vienna, drafting enormous symphonic works in the midst of rising anti-Semitism. Converting to Christianity as a means of survival, Mahler carries on with his work but experiences an erosion of his health and sense of identity. Meanwhile, his self-effacing spouse represses her own creative drives to keep the resident genius afloat, plugging every leak and receding all but invisible into the woodwork. While the film is the least ostentatious of Russell's movies about music, it is hardly conventional, a mix of lyrical tableaux and comic fantasy that adds up to a stirring, dreamlike experience. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, Cannes Film Festival, ...Mahler (1974)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a DVD of the famous Ken Russell Mahler film.The film is a classic and speaks for itself so no review of the creation is necessary from me. However there is a big problem with the DVD. It seems to be distributed and supplied by a foreign company (Dutch I think) who have added Dutch subtitles.Unfortunately there does not appear to be any menu or other means of getting rid of the subtitles which for an English person watching an English film is annoying to say the least.It prevents what would otherwise be afive star rating.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ken Russell is, without doubt, a great film-maker but, known for his shocking images and accused of an obsessive interest in sexuality and the church, he is not for the faint-hearted. A "Marmite" director, he has a great eye and a way of telling stories which are educational and memorable in their visual sensationalism. Deeply interested in the arts, he directed films on Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, and DH Lawrence's "Women in Love" to name but a few in a prolific career which started in television.
"Mahler" is one of his best but one which breaks the mould in some ways, being less shocking and obsessive. Visually breath-taking and musically splendid (as any film true to Mahler will be) he sets the scene for creation of some of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries' greatest music.
His star, Robert Powell, looks very much like Mahler and encapsulates the artist struggling to balance his very public day-to-day duties as a conductor and musical director with his isolated love of and desire to compose in his two lake-side sheds overlooked by dramatic mountains.
A beautiful film I thoroughly recommend.
For those interested in Mahler, I recommend other DVDs:
Michael Tilson Thomas's "Keeping Score - Mahler"
Leonard Bernstein's "Little Drummer Boy"
and Stephen Johnson's book "Mahler, his life and Works" plus two study CDs.
"Mahler" is one of his best but one which breaks the mould in some ways, being less shocking and obsessive. Visually breath-taking and musically splendid (as any film true to Mahler will be) he sets the scene for creation of some of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries' greatest music.
His star, Robert Powell, looks very much like Mahler and encapsulates the artist struggling to balance his very public day-to-day duties as a conductor and musical director with his isolated love of and desire to compose in his two lake-side sheds overlooked by dramatic mountains.
A beautiful film I thoroughly recommend.
For those interested in Mahler, I recommend other DVDs:
Michael Tilson Thomas's "Keeping Score - Mahler"
Leonard Bernstein's "Little Drummer Boy"
and Stephen Johnson's book "Mahler, his life and Works" plus two study CDs.
43 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Although Ken Russell was known as an admirer of the music of Gustav Mahler, I wasnt quite sure what he was trying to achieve here. Mahler's life was extremely complex, especially during his formative years as a composer and conductor in Vienna and in New York where he established himself as one of the all time great conductors despite many enemies and jealous rivals. Although he did have many admirers such as Bruno Walter and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. However, none of this is explored in the film. What the film does explore is his complex marriage to the beautiful Alma who bore him two daughters, one of whom died very young.
Alma who was much younger than Gustav when they married was a complex woman in her own right. They are often seen at loggerheads over his musical style which irritated her through her lack of understanding what Mahler was hoping to achieve and that was to bring a new style of music to the 20thC. The film takes place on a train journey with Mahler, now nearing to the end of his short life, (he was only 50 when he died of a throat infection which weakened his heart)is looking back on his career as a composer and conductor. Moreover, the relationship between him and his wife Alma is strained by Mahler's knowledge of her numerous affairs which are highlighted during certain scenes in the film. Indeed, the marriage only survived due to Mahler's intense love for her. However, his anguish at knowing of Alma's infidelity is highlighted by his later compositions especially with the unfinished Tenth Symphony which is one of his most advanced works and also one of his most emotionally profound.
Highlights of his music are played consistantly throughout the film with great effect and do enhance the drama and the numerous fantasy scenes especially with the absurd Cemetery scenes, and the scenes with the so called Valkirie on the mountain top with flames belching from a nearby cave. (Shades of Wagner's Siegfried.)
Take the film for what it is, a fantasy of one of the greatest composers who ever lived, and whose music is much admired throughout the world today. Maybe one day, some one just might make a real film of Mahler's extraordinary life, and until that happens, we will have to accept this film for what it is. Entertaining though which can be safely said, silly in parts, moving in others. Robert Powell is rather good as Mahler, although Georgina Hale is absolutely nothing like Alma. It is one of the films which you might either like, or detest.
The music used throughout the film is conducted by Bernard Haitink one of the greatest conductors of Mahler's music during the last thirty six years.
Alma who was much younger than Gustav when they married was a complex woman in her own right. They are often seen at loggerheads over his musical style which irritated her through her lack of understanding what Mahler was hoping to achieve and that was to bring a new style of music to the 20thC. The film takes place on a train journey with Mahler, now nearing to the end of his short life, (he was only 50 when he died of a throat infection which weakened his heart)is looking back on his career as a composer and conductor. Moreover, the relationship between him and his wife Alma is strained by Mahler's knowledge of her numerous affairs which are highlighted during certain scenes in the film. Indeed, the marriage only survived due to Mahler's intense love for her. However, his anguish at knowing of Alma's infidelity is highlighted by his later compositions especially with the unfinished Tenth Symphony which is one of his most advanced works and also one of his most emotionally profound.
Highlights of his music are played consistantly throughout the film with great effect and do enhance the drama and the numerous fantasy scenes especially with the absurd Cemetery scenes, and the scenes with the so called Valkirie on the mountain top with flames belching from a nearby cave. (Shades of Wagner's Siegfried.)
Take the film for what it is, a fantasy of one of the greatest composers who ever lived, and whose music is much admired throughout the world today. Maybe one day, some one just might make a real film of Mahler's extraordinary life, and until that happens, we will have to accept this film for what it is. Entertaining though which can be safely said, silly in parts, moving in others. Robert Powell is rather good as Mahler, although Georgina Hale is absolutely nothing like Alma. It is one of the films which you might either like, or detest.
The music used throughout the film is conducted by Bernard Haitink one of the greatest conductors of Mahler's music during the last thirty six years.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Ken Russell triumph
Mahler is a brilliant & entertaining film with all the expected Russell extravagances. A must for any fan's collection. Great visuals & music.
Published 20 days ago by filmfan
What a genius
I haven't watched this one, due to lack of time and interest, but I'm sure this is Kenn Russell at his best or worst. Provocative, disgusting and totally out of tune.
Published 2 months ago by Tristan
Mahler
I think this is the best film Ken Russel has ever made.Robert Powells portraial of Mahler is brilliant in my opinion, but then, I think everything he does is brilliant so I gues... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Manzi
Strange distorted narative
I'll have to agree with Redfearn's review; it is a work that is difficult to watch as a film for the music or for a film. It seems experimental in many ways. Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2008 by C. Richards
mahler
If this is supposed to be a homily to the music of Mahler, then it fails on all counts.one should not be surprised that Russell fills the screen with bizarre images, but as a fan... Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2005 by alan honeybill
Dreamy and rock video account of Mahler from Ken Russell
From the stunning opening sequence, where Mahler's wooden composing hut explodes into flame to the first movement of the Tenth Symphony, we are plunged into mythical, personal and... Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2002
Stunning visual imagination
Ken Russell penetrates Mahler's moral and imaginative universe with astonishing depth and visual beauty. Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2002 by Bruce Watson
Not bad.
This movie is quite slow and miserable. Robert Powell is good as Mahler and Lee Montague is excellent as his drunken father but the rest of the cast have no substance and let the... Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2000 by sheila.hodgson@ntlworld.com
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