Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

SoftInloveRox Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Tim Kidner Most of us who've taken an interest in 'our Ken', especially recently after his death and some fascinating documentaries popped up about the great man, know that he started out making TV documentaries about the Great composers.So, obviously, he's in his element here and whilst I've not had chance to see the rarer and expensive of these, out of the ones I have, about Tchaikovsky (The Music Lovers), and Liszt (Lisztomania), 'Mahler' is the most straightforward, less contentious and 'messed with', shall we say...Personally, I rather like it when Ken added his personal 'flourishes'. Neither being religious, nor from any target from his heavy symbolism, I'm never really offended by anything that he did. When it got ugly, or stupid, or at a tangent that took it away from the subject entirely, as he did big time in Lisztomania, that's different, of course.Robert Powell is a perfect Gustav Mahler - a fairly delicate individual, who, with his little round glasses and curly hair, looks every bit the intellectual. Much being filmed in the Lake District, there's some stunning scenery and Ken's eye never fails us, stylistically, in period detail or in composition.Not being a huge fan of Classical music, that side has less importance for me but the score always seems entirely apt and suitable. The sound quality on the DVD, being excellent on The Music Lovers, is a rather tinny mono-sounding affair, here, which takes the dramatic edge off it. You need to turn it up for the score to resonate in time with some of the flamboyant set pieces.Ken is well known now, for having been the one who turned boring biographies of long-dead creators of music into living and breathing programmes, turning the way such were made on their heads, whilst at the BBC. I do prefer The Music Lovers slightly, as it's more fiery but Mahler has a beauty, soul and understanding that one might not expect from the red-faced bellowing Mr Russell. For those interested in Ken's work, or Robert Powell, or indeed the composer himself, this is essential.

Armand A surrealistic experience in old Russell style. Hunks of crazy dream, chaotic touch lines, violent nuances, flavor of cesspool,ignoring of essence. It is vision of a interesting director about a myth. The reality, in this case, is only insignificant detail, the music- web for personal frustrations, the marriage- grotesque cartoon. The madness as supreme rule, the victim like poor puppet.And yet, this film is not a form of irony or sarcastic blasphemy. For me, it is a strange form of homage. An endeavor to discover the images of a genius . A special fight with a world who is not only golden legend. The virtue of director is subtle exploration of composer's childhood. The wonder of ineffable miracle- crux of existence.In fact, "Mahler" is a good movie not for script, images or fantasy, for political or cinema hints, for music or skit's elements. Not for original interpretation of biographic elements, for the hysteric atmosphere or for the Russell seal. It is superb for the special art of suggestion. For the colors of fear, desire and tiredness. For the taste of renunciation. Gustav Mahler is a great composer. But more important, like Kafka, Gandhi or Ingmar Bergman, he is a impressive conscience of his century. His music, his touching music, is part of a real world of every dream. In essence, this film is a game. Brutal, kitsch, morbid or painful. In same measure is pledge for self- discovery. Mahler is only symbol-guide for a important interior trip

matt-akers This film, though good in parts and with a fascinating performance by Robert Powell, is too stylised and idiosyncratic to be looked on as a true representation of Mahler's life and works. Rather it should be seen as an essay on Ken Russell's view of his inner struggles, and particularly his conversion to Catholicism. Too much of the dialogue and camera-work is stilted, and it has the look of a film on a budget, using locations in the lake district and Derbyshire (Chatsworth House) to represent Austria. This last comment may seem nit-picking, but using well known locations that many know are not where they are supposed to be can be distracting. Georgina Hale didn't really convince as Alma for me, a strong, stunning and seductive woman that Hale can't quite portray.Given the fascination of Mahler (and a ready made soundtrack of stunning music!) its perhaps time filmmakers had another go at portraying his life, works and tragic death. The perfect actor for the lead role - Robert Powell (who can forget that silhouette of Powell's face on the train, looking exactly like famous photos of Mahler himself?) - is perhaps too old now, though he could portray him in his later years. It would be one of those bio-pics of people I had always been intrigued to see on film (others include Alexander the Great, Howard Hughes, Hitler - all who have been portrayed recently).

enthusiast Definitely a good film about the composer; it portrays him better than "Bride of the Wind" did (that movie showed only the older Mahler as he was not the central feature). Alma is portrayed more realistically in this movie. Much has been made about the conversion to Christianity and though this segment of the film is quite controversial in the U.S. it should be noted that in the German speaking areas of Europe at that time Christianity was not nearly as benevolent towards people of the Jewish faith as it is in the U.S. (or Lithuania) today. Realize that Lithuania is a Catholic country and we lost our Jews in the Great Patriotic War due to the Germans coming through here so we know. Russell was trying to show that Mahler had to take a heck of a leap, psychologically, to go from being a Jew to becoming a Christian.Enough of politics. This film has much more of his music than "Bride of the Wind" and that is certainly enjoyable. VHS does not give adequate quality of sound reproduction for the music so I highly recommend DVD with good stereo speakers for viewing this film. His work was incredible and he was definitely the greatest German composer after Beethoven. One item of note: Most of this film seems to take place at Mahler's summer residence- where he composed most of his music. Yet, during most of the year(s) he was in Vienna conducting. Was Mahler unfaithful to Alma in Vienna? Well, when you consider the conductor of any great philharmonic was then as popular to women as hard rock singers are now; Let's just say that he was probably not as unfaithful to Alma as he could have been.