The Red Violin

R

Released Jun 11, 1999

2 hr. 11 min.

Drama

List

74%

42 Reviews

Tomatometer

91%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The intricate history of a beautiful antique violin is traced from its creation in Cremona, Italy, in 1681, where a legendary violin maker (Carlo Cecchi) paints it with his dead wife's blood to keep her memory alive, to an auction house in modern-day Montreal, where it draws the eye of an expert appraiser (Samuel L. Jackson). Over the years between, the violin travels through four different countries, where it has a profound impact on all those who own it.

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Julian M

💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/23

Full Review

Glenda R

My son and I don't always agree on movies. His genre is often to dark for my tastes. But his enthusiasm over this movie won me over. He and I couldn't stop talking about it! What a beautiful and mysterious ride throughout history. How could it be almost 25 years old and no one we know has seen or heard of it. We are avid movie buffs, but somehow we missed this treasure. Now we both consider it to be one of our favorite movies of all time! You must see it to appreciate it. You might even want to see it twice to really appreciate it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/16/23

Full Review

Benjamin G

As one professional reviewer stated, "This is filmmaking of the highest order" and I would have to agree. Each piece of art in this world has its own story that many of us will likely never know, some mundane while others full of wonder and mystery. This film does a remarkable job portraying the so-called "red violin" story that travels far and wide both in distance and time. It reveals the power of music/art's ability to connect us through culture and history. The auction serves as a focal point that helps emphasize shared appreciation across the world over relics and antiques that we hold onto dearly for value, admiration, appreciation, status, to name a few nouns. I'm personally not usually a fan of flashbacks but enjoyed how the movie weaves the story back and forth between the auction and the violin's history, allowing itself to capture various aspects of humanity from rich to poor, religious to secular, East to West, and manages to do so without an ounce of snobbery or foolishness.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/28/23

Full Review

dave s

The Red Violin follows the trail of a rare instrument from its creation in 17th century Italy to its sale at an auction in Montreal in the present day. Along the way, it passes through the hands of lovers, prodigies, artists, and revolutionaries, inspiring all those who touch it. From beginning to end, the story is riveting, helped along by an Oscar-winning score, beautiful cinematography and set design, and strong performances from an impressive cast, including the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Greta Scacchi, and Sandra Oh, among others. The Red Violin, as it whisks the viewer around the world and through time, never fails to entertain.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

isla s

I enjoyed this in terms of being a part period drama, with a mystery element. I liked seeing how the lives of the various owners of said violin changed in time, what happened and so on. I did find it a little confusing/frustrating due to the fact it kept changing from one timeline to another, from, say, hundreds of years ago and suddenly back to the modern day (or as it was when the film was released, in the late 1990s). However, my favourite aspect to this film was the actual violin recitals played throughout - I'm not a big lover of classical music but the music was/is very good. This is an intriguing part character drama, with numerous characters depicted and also a mystery film, with some great instrumentals present. I would definitely recommend this film, yes.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The underrated director that gave us the unfairly maligned 'Silk' in 2007, churns out a tender and character-driven epic that really flew under the radar upon release, unfortunately.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

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François Girard

Director

Samuel L. Jackson

Charles Morritz (Montréal)

Don McKellar

Evan Williams (Montréal)

Carlo Cecchi

Nicolo Bussotti (Cremona)

Irene Grazioli

Anna Bussotti (Cremona)

Jean-Luc Bideau

Georges Poussin (Vienna)

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 19, 2002

Full Review

Bob Graham

San Francisco Chronicle

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

David Keyes

Cinemaphile.org

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.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 15, 2013

Full Review

Jim Lane

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 4/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

A surprisingly exciting and delicate epic.

Rated: 3.5/4

May 26, 2006

Full Review

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Synopsis

The intricate history of a beautiful antique violin is traced from its creation in Cremona, Italy, in 1681, where a legendary violin maker (Carlo Cecchi) paints it with his dead wife's blood to keep her memory alive, to an auction house in modern-day Montreal, where it draws the eye of an expert appraiser (Samuel L. Jackson). Over the years between, the violin travels through four different countries, where it has a profound impact on all those who own it.

Director: François Girard
Screenwriter: Don McKellar, François Girard
Production Co: Mikado Films
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 11, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.5M
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital

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