I would watch this movie again, not necessarily for the luminous Elizabeth Taylor or the stunning European scenery, but to hear that glorious classical music of all the great composers in a terrific surround sound system that really brings out the passion of the music and the story. The plot really isn't too much as we've seen stories of grasping women before, but with its glorious Technicolor, it really becomes something special, and when Vittorio Gassman begins to play the violin, what gives his character passion is revealed beyond the romance with la Liz.
There are three men in Taylors life. Violinist Gassman, music agent John Erickson and her father, veteran actor Louis Calhern, who knows her better than she knows herself, and is aware of how dangerous she is to other men as well as herself. When Calhern meets Gassman, his distaste for Gassman's lack of culture outside of the music world is very apparent, but Calhern plays such a charming snob that it's impossible not to like him. He realizes that he is guilty of spoiling her to the point of irredeemable selfishness, but he doesn't know to the links that she will go to hang on to the men she claims to be in love with.
After driving Gassman away, Taylor unsuccessfully attempts suicide and in a rare moment, you get to see Taylor without any makeup as she lies in her recovery bed. Being comforted by Erikson gives her a look that indicates that the will to live has returned to her, but within days, she's making alternative plans to get away from him. This is Elizabeth Taylor at the height of her beauty, at the height of her stardom, and she is a vixen with charm and tenderness yet able to twist the knife when she does not get what she needs from the men she is manipulating.
The key scenes of Gassman and Erikson are quite different. Vittorio is romantic when things are going well, but a prima donna when playing the violin, infuriating maestro Michael Chekhov yet proven when he gets his way that he was right all along. Taylor becomes insanely jealous of his talent yet can't turn away when she has the opportunity to see him perform. On the other hand, Erickson is your typical boy next door, complicated in his love for Taylor, but so deeply in love with her, that his hurt is written all over his face with no words when she goes out of her way to dismiss him.
Certainly Taylor is stunning to look at, but it's Calhern who walks off the film with the acting honors. He is subtle in his every move, using sly words to try to turn Taylor's potential self destructive actions to another direction. you can't take your eyes off of Liz, and she shows that she has what it takes to create a complex portrayal that goes beyond just being beautiful. She represents Garbo from the 1930's MGM and Hedy Lamarr in the 1940's for being the alluring temptress, and this really represents her first opportunity to play a multifaceted character that is far more than eye candy. Charles Vidor, an expert at directing films of this type of musical passion (most memorably "A Song to Remember"), and he helps his film rise above being something ordinary, turning it into a true work of art.
There are three men in Taylors life. Violinist Gassman, music agent John Erickson and her father, veteran actor Louis Calhern, who knows her better than she knows herself, and is aware of how dangerous she is to other men as well as herself. When Calhern meets Gassman, his distaste for Gassman's lack of culture outside of the music world is very apparent, but Calhern plays such a charming snob that it's impossible not to like him. He realizes that he is guilty of spoiling her to the point of irredeemable selfishness, but he doesn't know to the links that she will go to hang on to the men she claims to be in love with.
After driving Gassman away, Taylor unsuccessfully attempts suicide and in a rare moment, you get to see Taylor without any makeup as she lies in her recovery bed. Being comforted by Erikson gives her a look that indicates that the will to live has returned to her, but within days, she's making alternative plans to get away from him. This is Elizabeth Taylor at the height of her beauty, at the height of her stardom, and she is a vixen with charm and tenderness yet able to twist the knife when she does not get what she needs from the men she is manipulating.
The key scenes of Gassman and Erikson are quite different. Vittorio is romantic when things are going well, but a prima donna when playing the violin, infuriating maestro Michael Chekhov yet proven when he gets his way that he was right all along. Taylor becomes insanely jealous of his talent yet can't turn away when she has the opportunity to see him perform. On the other hand, Erickson is your typical boy next door, complicated in his love for Taylor, but so deeply in love with her, that his hurt is written all over his face with no words when she goes out of her way to dismiss him.
Certainly Taylor is stunning to look at, but it's Calhern who walks off the film with the acting honors. He is subtle in his every move, using sly words to try to turn Taylor's potential self destructive actions to another direction. you can't take your eyes off of Liz, and she shows that she has what it takes to create a complex portrayal that goes beyond just being beautiful. She represents Garbo from the 1930's MGM and Hedy Lamarr in the 1940's for being the alluring temptress, and this really represents her first opportunity to play a multifaceted character that is far more than eye candy. Charles Vidor, an expert at directing films of this type of musical passion (most memorably "A Song to Remember"), and he helps his film rise above being something ordinary, turning it into a true work of art.