Copying Beethoven, (Klang der Stille) (2006)

25% of critics liked it
(79 reviews)
58% of users liked it
(1,997 ratings)

When a young Vienna Music Conservatory student and aspiring composer accepts a job as a copyist for Ludwig von Beethoven, she soon finds her destiny forever interlinked with that of the legendary classical musician in director Agnieszka Holland's romantic period drama. Beethoven (Ed Harris)'s "Ninth… More When a young Vienna Music Conservatory student and aspiring composer accepts a job as a copyist for Ludwig von Beethoven, she soon finds her destiny forever interlinked with that of the legendary classical musician in director Agnieszka Holland's romantic period drama. Beethoven (Ed Harris)'s "Ninth Symphony" is about to make its historical debut, but Beethoven's publisher Herr Schlemmer is dying of cancer. Now in desperate need of a copyist to complete the score, the ailing Schlemmer enlists the aid of ambitious student Anna Holz (Diane Kruger); who readily accepts the job despite an explicit warning that the composer is a callous wretch. As Anna begins the arduous process of copying Beethoven's career-defining work, her soul-stirring kindness causes the composer to view their collaboration as a blessing that will enable him to produce some of the most sublime music ever created. When Anna works up the courage to show Beethoven some of her own work, however, his thoughtless derision of the composition causes his sensitive assistant to abandon their current collaboration. Subsequently determined to flee Vienna and marry her devoted paramour Martin, Anna is quickly tracked down by Beethoven and forced to choose between love and duty. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Agnieszka Holland
Written By: Christopher Wilkinson, Stephen J. Rivele
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jul 30, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Apr 3, 2007
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Luke Y. Thompson, Village Voice
Beethoven turns out to be like every obnoxious self-absorbed creative type you've ever met
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
The movie is completely beguiling, and it delivers joy, the beautiful spark of the gods.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
Someday someone will make a great movie about an immortal composer, but for now the best movie about any Beethoven I've ever seen stars a Saint Bernard.
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
You may walk out of Copying Beethoven humming the movie. But that's not the same as singing its praises.
Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger
It works on an aesthetic level but it's uneven as a drama.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
...Tin-eared script and tone-deaf direction sabotages a fortissimo performance by Ed Harris in the title role.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
The once promising Polish director Agnieszka Holland ("Olivier, Olivier") stumbles with this muddled story about Anna Holtz (Diane Kruger), a 23-year-old composition student sent to 1824 Vienna to transcribe sheet music for the demanding and cruel Ludwig
Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Period romance isn't original enough to score.
Derek Malcolm, This is London
You can mock this film if you like, but it remains watchable throughout. And the ears have it when the eyes don't.
Neil Smith, thelondonpaper
As wooden as a piano stool.
Anthony Quinn, Independent
If the composer's shade could hear the words this script has put in his mouth it really would be a case of "roll over, Beethoven", right there in his grave.
Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph
A great example of that time-honoured genre, the biopic so silly it plays like a spoof.
Martin Hoyle, Financial Times
Amateurishly written, scarcely acted tosh.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
A fatuous, bafflingly imagined tale of the unhappy and unwell Beethoven and his ordeal in preparing the Ninth Symphony for its premiere.
James Christopher, Times [UK]
Diane Kruger is the most appealing scenery in this rose-tinted nonsense.
Neil Smith, Film4
No amount of grandstanding from Harris can animate this turgid mishmash of musical biopic and May-December romance.
Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [UK]
Boring and pointless.
Neil Smith, Total Film
Like the wrinkled buttocks he flashes at Kruger, however, this portrait of the artist could use some tightening up.
David Jenkins, Time Out
The direction from Polish New Waver Agnieszka Holland feels more like she's testing a new camera than attempting to capture the nuances of the artistic process, and if we're to believe the script, then all great art derives 'from the gut'.
Patrick Peters, Empire Magazine
Brief bursts of passion aside, this is a lifeless facsimile of the great artist's last days.

Read all 24 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Pierluigi P

Correct portrait of the madness, fury and genius of Ludwig Van Beethoven in his last moments of glory. Ed Harris can do no wrong, and Diane Kruger is believable despite her enormous and distracting beauty. As a fervent fanatic of Beethoven's compositions, especially his 9th… More
Correct portrait of the madness, fury and genius of Ludwig Van Beethoven in his last moments of glory. Ed Harris can do no wrong, and Diane Kruger is believable despite her enormous and distracting beauty. As a fervent fanatic of Beethoven's compositions, especially his 9th symphony, I was deeply moved when that exceptional piece of music was played, nevertheless, that instant made me realize this film could have been improved by a less shallow direction, I didn't find pleasant all that shaky, manneristic, sinfully modernized approach.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Copying Beethoven" starts in Vienna, 1824 when Beethoven's(Ed Harris) Ninth Symphony is days away from its premiere and the compositions still need to be copied. Herr Schlemmer(Ralph Raich) asks for the best compositionist and is surprised when… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Copying Beethoven" starts in Vienna, 1824 when Beethoven's(Ed Harris) Ninth Symphony is days away from its premiere and the compositions still need to be copied. Herr Schlemmer(Ralph Raich) asks for the best compositionist and is surprised when Anna Holtz(Diane Kruger) answers the summons but she soon proves herself capable as Beethoven proves himself a giant pain as he is now almost deaf.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Copying Beethoven" is an inconsistent, cartoonish, and simplistic take on the last years of Beethoven's life. This is material that was already covered better in "Immortal Beloved." And anything that the film might say about art versus commerce was already said in "Amadeus."[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]The casting of Ed Harris might have looked good on paper but he is actually horribly miscast, doing a passable John Billingsley impression. The problem is that his persona is too contemporary for this kind of period piece.(By the way, has anybody heard from Klaus Maria Braundauer lately?) Diane Kruger may have the face of an angel but little else going for her. [/font]
Bill C

If you liked Ed Harris' performance in "Pollock" He seems more suited to this movie. Indifference to the people who panned this movie I felt it was a very engaging performance by both Ed Harris and Diane Kruger. Ed Harris really rings true as Beethoven, even more than… More
If you liked Ed Harris' performance in "Pollock" He seems more suited to this movie. Indifference to the people who panned this movie I felt it was a very engaging performance by both Ed Harris and Diane Kruger. Ed Harris really rings true as Beethoven, even more than as Pollock. His performance as a musical genius disconnected form society was superior to his performance one of my favorite chemically imbalanced artists. I do not care that this is historically inaccurate. If I want to learn more about historical figures don't watch movies, read books. Low points the movie is not really well edited. The beginning seems like one long conversation, then a long musical performance, another short performance then a short conversation. With a little better pacing, editing and cinematography I would bring this up to 5-stars.