Set in Prague in 1786, the movie creates a semi-biographical but fictional story around the background to one Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's most famous opera's Don Giovanni. Mozart (Aneurin Bernard) is brought to Prague by sinister local aristocrat Baron Saloka (James Purefoy) and Mozart welcomes the chance to escape his fickle audiences in Vienna for a chance of enjoying the unrestrained adulation he gets in Prague as he conducts the closing season of The Marriage of Figaro.
Mozart falls for young vivacious replacement soprano opera singer Samantha Barks (Josefa Duchek) but finds out her wealthy father has betrothed her to the rapacious and notoriously exploitive Baron. The Baron plots with local Archbishop Bonar (Laporal Blosch) to catch Mozart in his infidelity and discredit him but Mozart evades placed spies and tails to pursue his affair. The plot turns tragic as Mme. Barks is murdered by the Baron for refusing his advances. Mozart and her family are plunged into depression and melancholy and thus the Baron supposedly becomes the inspiration for the evil and imposing character of Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni.
Anyone who has travelled to Prague and other towns in the Czech Republic will know of the vast array of beautifully maintained 18th Century buildings so the setting is magnificently authentic augmented by fabulous costumes and of course Mozart's enervating and dramatic music. The international cast do largely a great job. I find Bernard perhaps closer to how I imagined Mozart that the more flippant and childish Tom Hulce in Amadeus. An all round gorgeous if mostly fictional period drama.
Mozart falls for young vivacious replacement soprano opera singer Samantha Barks (Josefa Duchek) but finds out her wealthy father has betrothed her to the rapacious and notoriously exploitive Baron. The Baron plots with local Archbishop Bonar (Laporal Blosch) to catch Mozart in his infidelity and discredit him but Mozart evades placed spies and tails to pursue his affair. The plot turns tragic as Mme. Barks is murdered by the Baron for refusing his advances. Mozart and her family are plunged into depression and melancholy and thus the Baron supposedly becomes the inspiration for the evil and imposing character of Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni.
Anyone who has travelled to Prague and other towns in the Czech Republic will know of the vast array of beautifully maintained 18th Century buildings so the setting is magnificently authentic augmented by fabulous costumes and of course Mozart's enervating and dramatic music. The international cast do largely a great job. I find Bernard perhaps closer to how I imagined Mozart that the more flippant and childish Tom Hulce in Amadeus. An all round gorgeous if mostly fictional period drama.