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Armin Mueller-Stahl, Geoffrey Rush, John Gielgud

A man in his forties, David, stumbles into a wine bar after getting lost one night in driving rain. Although he is wildly eccentric, David charms the bar''s owner who, impressed with his brilliant ski...( read more  read more... )lls as a pianist, gives him a regular job playing at her bar. David''s impromptu performance is, in fact, the first time he has been at a piano after more than a decade of obscurity. Inspired by this, he is transported back to his childhood in which everything seemed to revolve around the piano. Based on the ultimately triumphant life of classical pianist David Helfgott, Shine focuses on Helfgott''s painful retreat into a private world while still in his early 20''s and on the brink of a glittering international career. Spanning the 1950''s to the 1980''s, Shine dramatizes the deeply moving way in which Helfgott, after a decade of obscurity, achieves both personal and professional fulfillment through the love and support of a remarkable woman.

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8,476 ratings

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30 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Scott Hicks

Release Date: December 31, 1996

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DVD Release Date: July 15, 1997

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Flixster Reviews (1,166)

  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    Excellent biography of David Helfgott, Geoffrey Rush at his very best!
  • irisheyes686
    September 3, 2009
    irisheyes686
    It took awhile for this movie to get going. The second half was a lot more interesting. Rush did an amazing job.
  • binky013
    July 31, 2009
    binky013
    It's taken a few beers--uh, I mean a few days--for me to figure out what exactly I want to say about this movie. The first thing I'd like to say -- and you can take it or leave it -- is that the flixster synopsis is, well, let's just say it's not the synopsis I'd write. If I we...( read more)re doing the synopsis, I'd say probably that we should look for the earliest significant detail in this sorta-biopic "true" story of David Helfgott's roller-coaster life ride. But I don't even know who Gérard Genette is, so I'll just say this.

    If you'd like to look to the "source" of the problem in Helfgott's life, you might want to go -- not to his father -- the obvious choice -- but to the little stories Armin Mueller-Stahl, as Helfgott's father, let's surface over the course of the movie.

    Remember the violin story? Mueller-Stahl let's that one surface twice. It's the story, incomplete the second time, of how he saved his money to buy a violin, when he himself was a child, and "Do you know what happened to that violin?"

    The first time we hear the "complete" tale; we hear the conclusion. David's father's father smashed that violin to pieces. The second time we hear the story, when Geoffrey Rush is finally on board playing the older David, we do not hear the end of the sad story, but we don't need to hear it -- we already know that it was smashed up by David's grandfather.

    So what?

    Well, we might be tempted, on a first viewing, to place an incredible amount of the burden for David's "problems" on his father -- Mueller-Stahl is brilliant in this role. But I would place a cautionary tag on that assumption and argue that the problem goes back at least to some very hairy father-son relationship in the generation that comes before.

    A beautiful film, friends. I'm glad it finally bubbled up my rental queue.

    Last, but certainly not least, kudos to director Scott Hicks. I can't say I've ever seen anything he's done, but this is truly a beautiful job of film direction.
  • PvtCaboose91
    April 30, 2009
    PvtCaboose91
    "In this world only the strong survive. The weak get crushed like insects."


    Shine is a deceitfully straightforward and disposable title for an unreservedly amazing motion picture. This low-budget Australian feature illuminates the strength of the human spirit

    ...( read more)and the triumph of the heart as it depicts the tremendous courage of a troubled individual. The story it conveys is incredibly poignant - a young man driven to breaking point by his father, and defying his father's wishes in order to pursue his dreams. Provocative, enthralling and potent, Shine offers a tale of insurgence and individuality through the eyes of a pianist whose sole form of self-expression is in the ivory keys of a piano. Shine may superficially appear uninteresting and depressing - yet, quite simply, it's anything but. Writer-director Scott Hicks' biopic is an astonishingly well-made saga of triumph over adversity and the destructive power of love that's compelling viewing; leaving no emotional chain unyanked.


    At the Sundance Film Festival of 1996, Shine was among the hottest properties being offered. This unforgettable tour de force ignited a distributor bidding war between Harvey Weinstein of Miramax and Bob Shaye of New Line. Upon its eventual theatrical release, Shine was acclaimed by critics and movie-goers alike. Despite its low-budget origins, this film was among the must-see movies of 1996. It earned 9 AFI (Australian Film Institute) Awards, including those for Best Picture, Best Actor (Geoffrey Rush) and Best Supporting Actor (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Noah Taylor was additionally nominated for Best Actor, competing against Rush.


    Astonishingly, Shine even reached the Academy Awards! Geoffrey Rush received the Oscar for Best Actor for his memorable performance as the mentally unstable adult David. The film was nominated for additional Oscars - Best Picture, Best Director (Scott Hicks), Best Supporting Actor (Armin Mueller-Stahl), Best Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Music. Although it only gleaned a single Oscar at the ceremony...for a little Aussie movie it's extremely impressive nonetheless. On top of this, it also acquired an incalculable amount of prestigious awards worldwide. This includes awards at the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes (Rush continually won Best Actor). After viewing the first frame of Shine, it's already obvious why it garnered so much acclaim. This is a testament to the glorious filmmaking in all departments.


    The film is a fictionalised account of the life of Australian pianist David Helfgott. Shine chronicles David's life from childhood (played by Alex Rafalowicz), through to adolescence (Noah Taylor), and onwards to adulthood (Geoffrey Rush). David's father, Peter (Mueller-Stahl), is a Polish Jew who settled in Australia following his devastating experience during the Holocaust. The anguish of losing loved ones impels Peter to keep his family together at all costs, and his drive to teach David music from a young age is a direct reaction to his own father's dislike of music. As a little boy, David is a child prodigy who shows phenomenal promise. After performing at a school recital, music teacher Ben Rosen (Bell) notices David's obvious talent and offers to teach him. As an adolescent, David wins several competitions and is offered a scholarship for the Royal College of Music in London. Even despite his father's pungent objections, David departs for London...and Peter summarily disowns his son. In London his brilliance flourishes, and he opts to attempt a notoriously difficult piece of music. The cumulative pressure overwhelms David, and after playing a perfect rendition of Rachmaninoff's Third Concerto he suffers a mental breakdown. Ten years on, David resides in mental institutions who frown upon the piano in fear of a relapse. An unlikely romance eventually brings stability, and through several twists of fate (more unlikely than those told in the film) he makes his return to the concert stage.


    Gillian: "How do you feel?"

    David: "I'm shocked, stunned and amazed."


    In 1986, Scott Hicks read a newspaper story about David Helfgott - a pianist who performed a flawless classical catalogue at a Perth restaurant. Hicks' interest was immediately ignited, and he arranged to witness Helfgott in concert. For the majority of the following year, Hicks worked to earn Helfgott's trust with the goal in mind of committing his story to celluloid. Jan Sardi's screenplay was admittedly fictionalised to an extent, in fact Hicks is emphatic Shine is not a straight biography despite including real people and events. Although it'd be interesting to behold a more faithful telling of David Helfgott's life & career, Shine is 1996's most stirring and inspirational movie. The decidedly inaccurate story is both powerful and affecting. It's riveting from the first frame 'til the last, which is a combination of the wonderful script, the engaging performances, the focused direction and the banquet of striking locations. The passion for the music incessantly clattering around in David's head fuels the film. Handsomely photographed concert scenes are bequeathed with the energy of a shootout in a John Woo picture. It's pianist vs. music in a contest of wills, and this is embodied by swirling, dizzying camera work.


    Sardi and Hicks elected to tell the story of David Helfgott in a non-chronological manner. While the structure isn't totally jumbled - ala Pulp Fiction - the film is predominantly told through flashbacks. This bestows the movie with a unique dynamic. Fortunately, there is no voice-over narration - the proceedings speak for themselves without the support of a disembodied voice adding "valuable" comments. Those behind the camera have made few, if any, mistakes with Shine - and the fashion of its unique presentation is just one example of a perfect creative decision.


    Love can flaunt various different faces, and Shine illustrates two of the most extreme. The first is Peter Helfgott's compulsive, domineering love. Mueller-Stahl's performance challenges a viewer to label Peter as just another abusive father attempting to live vicariously through the talents of his son. Peter can be consoling and gentle every so often, and there's no denying that he holds genuine feelings for David. Nevertheless there are instances when his outbreaks cause violence, and cruel results are the outcome.

    The other face of love is the healing, undemanding one - as personified in a middle-aged astrologer named Gillian (Redgrave). As the two fall in love, Gillian offers her strength and understanding to David in order to help him rebuild his life. The final scene depicts the synthesis of both these faces as David attempts to at long last bring closure to one of the great, unresolved issues of his troubled life.


    Ardently character-driven from the opening sequence, Shine is carried by phenomenal performances right down the line. Geoffrey Rush makes short, infrequent appearances during the film's first half before being brought to the fore for the film's final half. Rush's Academy Award was well-earned (as was his AFI Award, for that matter). His stuttering delivery exemplifies the unbridled genius of the adult David Helfgott. Noah Taylor was also nominated for an AFI Award as the adolescent David. Even though the two actors worked together to perfect specific mutual mannerisms, each offered a unique interpretation of the character. Taylor is young, energetic, and highly-strung. Rush, on the other hand, presents a recuperating David who - while still hyperkinetic - is progressively learning to face the world as opposed to hiding from it.

    David's childhood is dominated by Armin Mueller-Stahl as Peter Helfgott; a man who recognised his son's remarkable abilities and pushed him to practice and learn. Fatherly love becomes single-mindedness - when David is accepted into prestigious international music schools, his father refuses him permission to go due to an obsession with family unity, strength and pride. "You will destroy your family!" he screams.

    The supporting cast includes Alex Rafalowicz as a wonderfully assured infant David, Googie Withers, Lynn Redgrave, Nicholas Bell and John Gielgud as a crusty, cravat-sporting piano teacher.


    "No-one will love you like me, no-one like me."


    Shine primarily concerns building strength from weakness. It's inspirational due to the fact David fights his way back. He never renounces, and his triumph becomes ours. David may not have experienced these precise events, but he most certainly endured the basic outline - becoming an exceptional pianist, collapsing, and putting himself back together again. This basic structure alone is astonishing, and perfectly conveys the consequences of a strong human heart. Shine is extraordinarily compelling for essentially a character study of one man, and director Scott Hicks masterfully uses the camera to capture an inner turmoil. The acting is immaculate (Rush's frantic babbling as the insane David perfectly encapsulates the nature of the real-life David), the classical soundtrack is stirring, and the story is told with warmth and humour that prevents it from being the self-pitying wallow it could easily have become. The protagonist veers between poignant depression and touching eccentricity, coming across as an adorable innocent and giving rise to an uplifting ending. The picture also presents its own inimitable impression of genius, arguing that even the greatest talent needs to be nurtured. Through the power of David Helfgott's virtuoso musical performances, Shine illustrates that there are other, more effective ways of self-expression than mere speech.


    "You must play as if there's no tomorrow."
  • rebvodka042099
    July 11, 2008
    rebvodka042099
    One of my favourite piano/music-related films. Taylor and Rush are brilliant.
  • wwaising
    October 14, 2009
    wwaising
    Direct, simple, concise but very impressive, yet bittersweet. The scene depicting David Helfgott's breakdown was really well done. Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor Op. 30 is a masterpiece, needless to say. Geoffrey Rush grabbed himself the Best Actor in a Lea...( read more)ding Role Award in Oscar 1997, even though he had just occupied about 1/2 of the movie. Armin Mueller-Stahl was perfectly cast & remarkable as the abusive, manipulating father who had been overshadowed by WWII. But great ensemble cast indeed.
  • SageSlowdive
    August 26, 2009
    SageSlowdive
    Rush is great in this wonderful drama.
  • rambo360
    August 11, 2009
    rambo360
    the best film in 1996
  • gmale9000
    July 19, 2009
    gmale9000
    Oh man. What a solid feel good film. Rush is amazing, of course. Its like Rudy, but good.
  • Phonex
    July 3, 2009
    Phonex
    Shine tells the story of David Helfgott, the now world-famous pianist and composer. A child prodigy he eventually left Australia for the London School of Music but, due to the pressures of performance, his rejection by his father and other contributing factors he suffered a nervo...( read more)us breakdown while performing at the Royal Albert Hall. Director Scott Hicks returns to the present day as David wanders the streets, sees a piano in a restaurant, makes his way through the crowds and proceeds to play; his rehabilitation begins.

    An absolutely stunning film, Shine is essentially two tales skilfully blended together. The second tale is that of David's rehabilitation with David being played by Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush. Rush is the personification of David, even physically resembling him. His portrayal of a man whom different people term eccentric or mad asks important questions not heard since Rainman. This second part is an absolute joy to watch, and of course to listen to, forming an important balance to the somewhat more sombre first half.

    In the first we see David as a young boy and adolescent; nervous, twitchy, constantly pushed. Noah Taylor shines through as the teenage David, forever on edge, forever striving to achieve. Taylor is a joy to watch in what is essentially a very moving tale and one suspects that if he had been eligible for the Oscar he may even have won it. Added to Taylor's excellent performance t is that of Sir John Gielgud. Taking the role of David's piano tutor in London he positively revels in the role given to him; that of an over arty, musical, red wine drinking wise old man. Gielgud adds an air of lightness to the story that is essential lighten this darker part of the film. Scott Hick's cast are a dream. All act as if their lives depended on doing justice to a story that tugs the heartstrings at every opportunity. It is his handling of the story that really impresses though as the story never becomes overly heavy or too lighhearted. It is never selfpitying, always played with dignity and warmth. His script does true justice to an incredibly compelling story and his direction and cast make what was essentially a very small movie into a truly massive and wonderful film. Shine was the film of 1996, see it again and make it your film of 1997.

    By EUFS

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Comments

  • jmkangeltears
    September 20, 2006
    jmkangeltears
    *hugs Geff Rush* he always brings something special to the screen whenever his on it :)
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Shine Trivia

  • In Pitch Black, how many menthol cools does it cost to get "a shine job" on your eyes?  Answer »
  • Canadian director David Cronenberg has taken a recent shine to Viggo Mortensen, casting him in the starring role of his past two movies ('A History of Violence' and 'Eastern Promises'). Who was the only actor to star for Cronenberg on more than one occasion prior to this?  Answer »
  • For which movie did Geoffrey Rush win an Oscar?  Answer »
  • name the movie. "All right! Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty! Come on. Hup, hup, hup! Get your clothes on. Get ready. Got breakfast for ya. Look, you get porridge... [Porridge has a fried-eggs-and-bacon smile] And it's happy to see you. "  Answer »
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