Mahler

Hi guys, welcome back to Big Blog Theory, I hope you’re all doing well. There’s another film I would like to talk to you guys about. So, a few weeks ago, I watched a film called Mahler, which is a musical/ drama film that came out in 1974, starring Robert Powell. It tells the story about Gustav Mahler who was a famous composer, I thought it was amazing. The film begins with him sitting on a train going to Vienna just reflecting back on his childhood and life and his experiences of being Jewish and Antisemitism and his dying marriage with his wife Alma and later, his conversion to become Catholic. I thought this film was really amazing, it just grabbed me when I first watched it, I’ve never been so connected and gripped to a story like this before. It tells a very beautiful story about this individual and you get an insight into what  pain this man has suffered and it was just him trying to come out of the other end unscathed. It’s so profoundly strange but wonderful. All the scenes where he was looking back at his younger self, I found them to be very heartbreaking and I was really moved.

This film was directed by Ken Russel who is a fantastic film director who deals in these kinds of films. I’ve not seen many of his films but Mahler was my first Ken Russel Film and it’s amazing, I really loved it. Amidst all the chaos that goes on, he’s telling a really beautiful story and I was really enthralled by it. I was even moving my arms around along to the orchestra scenes and my family were wondering why there is air circulating dementedly like I’m some sort of a nutcase. Just kidding, I was actually home alone when I watched this film and by the time the ending came, I was getting emotional and my parents walked in and they were like ” What on earth?” so I couldn’t really enjoy it and properly soak up all the emotions of the moment so I had to watch it again some other time.

I’ve actually seen it twice now, it’s become one of my favourite films of all time, it’s just so beautifully shot, very theatrical in certain parts, very poignant at times and I just remember crying in certain parts of the film. It’s about two hours long and I advise you to watch it all the way through to the end because honestly, you won’t be disappointed.  Wonderful storytelling and Robert Powell gave a wonderful performance as Mahler and personally I think he should have won an award for it. This film also has a fantastic cast and they all gave the performance of their lives. Not only have I fallen in love with Robert but I have also gained respect for the rest of the cast who were involved in the making of this film. Some of these actors and actresses were completely unheard of by me. This film has so many great quotes too and I love all of the sequences, they were very creative.

I think Robert Powell mentioned in an interview once that he was very fond of making this film and actually said it was one of his favourite pictures. He has great taste, ha ha.  Also, did anyone here get to go and see him in Whales at that Talking Pictures event? I was going to go but Whales is too far away. It’s like my dream to go and hear Robert Powell talk about his career because he’s my favourite actor but it’s too far away. I’m going to wait for him to come to London and then I can go and see him, ha ha. I bet it would be great, he seems like such an interesting character. Also, Who else has seen Robert Powell in The Detectives? I’m obsessed with that show, it’s so funny. Those two are brilliant together. That Jasper Carrot interrogation scene is like my favourite thing ever, I’ve watched it so many times.

I totally recommend this film to those of you who are a fan of Robert Powell, it is truly brilliant and I love that bit at the end where Mahler goes ” We’re going to live forever” I was crying happy tears, it’s a wonderful gem of a film and it taught me a lot about all the different kinds of film making that there are.

I’ll put a link to the trailer and the film so you guys can watch it

 

Thank you for reading this post and I hope you all have a lovely day wherever you are, love you guys

 

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