Saturday, December 24, 2022

Lisztomania (1975)

 Liszt is a composer and pianist who is idolized by the masses and is constantly getting into trouble on account of his womanizing. He goes on a tour in Russia, where he once again gets involved with a married woman. He champions the work of Wagner, who gets involved with radical politics. Wagner marries Liszt's daughter and starts embracing nationalist ideas. Liszt becomes an abbot and is given a mission by the Pope: to exorcize Wagner.


Musical fantasy on the lives of famous composers. Apparently, its biographical subjects are just a vehicle for a free satire. The film seems to hint at themes such as the interplay of nationalism and populism, but everything is kept at a very infantile level. Curiously, the filmmaker seems to have changed sides since The Devils; that film sided with the exorcized whereas Lisztomania seems to take the side of the exorcist.

Rating: 32


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