Bride of the Wind

R

Released Jun 8, 2001

1 hr. 39 min.

Drama

Biography

List

11%

64 Reviews

Tomatometer

38%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Every generation has its muse. In ancient Greece, there was Helen of Troy; the Renaissance had the Mona Lisa; and in early 1900s Vienna, there was Alma Schindler, a bright and sensual young musician who aroused the passions of many. Alma married, in succession, Gustav Mahler, Walter Gropius and Franz Werfel, and she had liaisons with others. The works of some of these European artists changed the world -- yet, it was she who ultimately changed each of them.

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Critics Consensus

Bride of the Wind drags for its length, and Alma, rather than being the proto-feminist the film wants her to be, comes across more as a dilettante of mediocre talent.

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Frances H

Although it has great production values, set, and costumes, as well as a fairly decent cast, Sarah Wynter makes a rather boring Alma, a character who should be full of life and passion, and the script is bland as well, when the famous persons who are the characters were full romantic and eccentric quirks in real life.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/30/17

Full Review

Audience Member

fuck you, all i love this movie, its amazing

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Bride of the Wind," 2001?s biopic of Alma Mahler, is an intriguing look into the life of one of music history's most polarizing characters. While the critics hated it, anybody with a decent knowledge of Gustav and/or Alma Mahler will enjoy seeing these historical figures brought to life. The entire first half of the film is Alma's relationship with Gustav, creating sympathy for Alma without making Gustav into a bad guy. It mostly portrays them as incompatible as Gustav is too preoccupied with his music to realize that Alma is struggling. The moment when Gustav confronts Alma with the letter written to her by lover Walter Gropius is chilling, as well as when Oskar Kokoschka reveals his famous intimate painting of Alma, "The Bride of the Wind." The film score is full of Mahler's greatest works, including the 3rd Symphony, 5th Symphony, 6th Symphony, and Kindertotenlieder amongst other pieces. While the acting isn't of "Shawshank" stature, Jonathan Pryce is an excellent Gustav and Sarah Wynter shows why men were so intrigued with the strong-willed Alma (a.k.a. she's hott). This movie has been buried by its horrific critical reception but it is a treasure to any person who takes interest in the lives of the Mahlers.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

darn woman! I was not very impressed with the main role (the character and the actress). The only good thing was Vincent Perez, charming as always.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

(* 1/2): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img] I didn't expect to see something this awful. The story and acting (for the most part) is quite laughable and the film as a whole is really, really boring. The only really positive thing is that the film has some decent cinematography; some good substance to go with it would have (of course) helped! A major disappointment.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Beautiful. Not great, but pleasant.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

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Bruce Beresford

Director

Sarah Wynter

Alma Mahler

Jonathan Pryce

Gustav Mahler

Vincent Perez

Oskar Kokoschka

Simon Verhoeven

Walter Gropius

Gregor Seberg

Franz Werfel

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Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

Alma Mahler is flirting again.

Apr 7, 2009

Full Review

Marrit Ingman

Austin Chronicle

Beresford and his screenwriter, Marilyn Levy, have a wealth of compelling material at their disposal. But somehow the film doesn't quite cohere.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 10, 2003

Full Review

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

An often silly and oddly tepid biopic from director Bruce Beresford.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 19, 2002

Full Review

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

Sarah Wynter doesn't quite have the chops, Bruce Beresford doesn't quite have the heart, and the audience probably doesn't have anywhere near the level of interest.

Rated: 2.5/5

Dec 5, 2004

Full Review

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Never successfully answers what Alma Schindler had that drew composer Gustav Mahler, architect Walter Gropius, writer Franz Werfel, and painter Oskar Kokoschka to her.

Rated: 4/5

May 23, 2004

Full Review

Jean Lowerison

San Diego Metropolitan

Beresford has picked a terrific cast to tell this story.

Oct 21, 2002

Full Review

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Synopsis

Every generation has its muse. In ancient Greece, there was Helen of Troy; the Renaissance had the Mona Lisa; and in early 1900s Vienna, there was Alma Schindler, a bright and sensual young musician who aroused the passions of many. Alma married, in succession, Gustav Mahler, Walter Gropius and Franz Werfel, and she had liaisons with others. The works of some of these European artists changed the world -- yet, it was she who ultimately changed each of them.

Director: Bruce Beresford
Executive Producer: Gerald Green, Frank Hübner
Screenwriter: Marilyn Levy
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Total Film Group, Firelight Films
Rating: R (Sexuality|Nudity)
Genre: Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 8, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $419.4K
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)