The Red Violin (Le violon rouge) (1999)
89%RT Audience Score: 93%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
20 wins & 19 nominations total
A symphony of storytelling whose lulls lead to satisfying crescendos, The Red Violin weaves a centuries-long saga with the journey of a single instrument
The Red Violin is like a fine wine, it gets better with age. This movie is a masterpiece that takes you on a journey through time and space, following the life of a single violin. The film is ambitious, sweeping, and elegant, with a cast that brings the story to life. It’s a delicate epic that crosses all boundaries, and it’s a must-see for anyone who loves music, art, and history. Plus, it’s got Samuel L. Jackson in it, and who doesn’t love a little bit of Samuel L. Jackson?
Production Company(ies)
Santana Pictures, Corporation,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Cremona, Lombardia, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some sexuality
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English, Italian, German, French, Mandarin
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 11, 1999 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 3, 2008
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
The Red Violin, Drama, 2h 11m, starring Samuel L Jackson, directed by François Girard, written by Don McKellar and François Girard, box office gross $9.5M, reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum, James Berardinelli, Bob Graham, Roger Ebert, Marc Savlov, Susan Stark, David Keyes, Jim Lane, Jeffrey M Anderson, James Wegg, Ken Hanke, Judith Egerton, R rating, antique violin, Cremona, Italy, auction house, Montreal, expert appraiser, Niv Fichman, Carlo Cecchi, Irene Grazioli, Jean-Luc Bideau, Christoph Koncz, sound mix, surround, Dolby Digital
Worldwide gross: $10,019,109
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $17,984,580
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,751
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,961,241
US/Canada gross: $10,019,109
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $17,984,580
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,446
US/Canada opening weekend: $47,415
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $85,111
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,999
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $18,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $32,310,502
Production budget ranking: 1,112
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $17,399,205
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$31,725,127
ROI to date (est.): -64%
ROI ranking: 1,770
Don McKellar – Evan Williams (Montréal)
Carlo Cecchi – Nicolo Bussotti (Cremona)
Irene Grazioli – Anna Bussotti (Cremona)
Jean-Luc Bideau – Georges Poussin (Vienna)
Christoph Koncz – Kaspar Weiss (Vienna)
Director(s)
François Girard
Writer(s)
Don McKellar, François Girard
Producer(s)
Niv Fichman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
20 wins & 19 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures Winners, Oscar Original Score Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (42) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (11)
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
Bob Graham
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
The film is heedlessly ambitious. In a time of timid projects and easy formulas, The Red Violin has the kind of sweep and vision that we identify with elegant features from decades ago.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3.5/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
Susan Stark
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Like the immaculate instrument it follows, “The Red Violin” is a piece of filmmaking fully refined by the hands of someone who believed in the material, and the effect it leaves us with is one of transcendence.
August 15, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4
David Keyes
Cinemaphile.org
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
A surprisingly exciting and delicate epic.
May 26, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Franois Girard … with co-writer Don McKellar and an able cast, has spun a yarn that crosses all manner of boundaries: geographic, artistic, and taste.
October 10, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
James Wegg
JWR
The story lines, while having little direct connection to historical events, are obviously grounded in musical and artistic legend.
October 7, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
It is disconcerting to see {Jackson}…after watching his exceptional performances as crazy criminals in two Quentin Tarantino movies.
July 2, 2004 | Rating: 2.5/4
Judith Egerton
Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)…
Plot
In present day Montreal, a famous Nicolo Bussotti violin, known as “the red violin,” is being auctioned off. During the auction, we flash back to the creation of the violin in 17th century Italy, and follow the violin as it makes its way through an 18th century Austrian monastery, a violinist in 19th century Oxford, China during the Cultural Revolution, and back to Montreal, where a collector tries to establish the identity and the secrets of “the red violin.”
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film on Fresh Kernels.
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