La Symphonie fantastique

La Symphonie fantastique is a 1942 French drama film by ChristianJaque and produced by the Germancontrolled French film production company Continental Films. The film is based upon the life of the French composer Hector Berlioz. The title is taken from the fivemovement programmatic Symphonie fantastique of 1830. The film lasts around 90 minutes and was first shown at the Normandie cinema in Paris onApril 1942. The posters at the premiere contained the subtitle La Vie passionne et glorieuse dun gnie which links with the quote from Hugo at the very end of the film.

The film is biographical, telling the story of the life and artistic struggles of the French composer Hector Berlioz. Berlioz is shown as a recalcitrant medical student in an anatomy class dreaming of becoming a composer at a demonstration during a performance at the Paris Opra conducted by Habeneck at supper with other young artists Hugo, Janin, Dumas, Mrime, Delacroix and chasing after his future wife Harriet Smithson, after a performance of Hamlet. Also depicted are his life in a garret, while suffering from an illness due to an abscess in the throat a visit from his mother who curses him and the composition of the Symphonie fantastique. The film then shows his marital breakdown, the premiere of his opera Benvenuto Cellini, his travels throughout Europe, his second marriage to Marie Recio called Marie Martin in the film, public acceptance in old age and reconciliation with his son.The film makes a vivid recreation of important public sites a lecture theatre at the Faculty of Medicine, backstage at the Odon, the Opra, Montmartre lanes as well as salons and cafs. ........

Source: Wikipedia