11/3/05

Orchestra Rehearsal (not Phil)

Today, at my second shift in the library, I watched the worst movie I have seen in a long time. Perhaps I just didn't understand it, but to me, Fellini's Orchestra Rehearsal is a total mess. Its kind of told through a series of interviews of musicians of an orchestra. The interviews are all horribly overdone, usually the person talking about how their instrument is amazing and how it is so much better than everyone else's. Each person in each section hates each person in every other section, and all of the musicians hate the conductor, and the conductor hates all of them. Eventually things descend into a massive free-for-all that is broken up by a giant wrecking ball that nearly destroys the church they rehearse and perform in. Perhaps I hated this movie so much because I know that things are really not like this at all. The movie is purposely overdone like this, but I guess it is too hard to relate to, because the situation is so completely ridiculous. If found myself hating each and every character and hoping that they all got killed in the end (which they don't, unfortunately). Maybe this movie was beyond me, I read somewhere that it is supposed to be a retelling of the history of Europe (in just over an hour...Sure whatever) but it seems a little more general to me. I am curious what other musicians think of this movie. However, I do not recommend it to anyone. And as a side note: this was my first Fellini movie, I hope they are not all like this. Ugh... Orchestra Rehearsal (1979)...53%

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've never seen Orchestra Rehersal, but if you ask me, Fellini is (in my opinion) one of the most brilliant directors of ALL TIME. Maybe this was just one of his flops. Roma is another flop. But 8 1/2, La Dolce Vita, La Strada, Juliet of the Spirits...not to mention Notte di Cabiria -- all RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING films. Actually, to be honest, I think Fellini was one of the all-time most insanely creative people ever. Sorry you got stuck with the bum movie. I'd like to see it sometime.

Anonymous said...

yeah, you obviously don't get it. It's not trying to be the film that you wanted it to be... it actually has nothing to do with orchestra at all.