"We shall all be in our graves soon enough, but Chopin is eternal"
Instead of watching Labor Pains last night (I just couldn't bring myself to do it), I opted for 1991's Impromptu instead. Impromptu is the story of the romance between writer George Sand (played by Judy Davis) and Frederic Chopin (played by Hugh Grant). Although this film was rather slow moving, I appreciated it because I've played piano for twenty years. Chopin is one of my favorite composers (next to George Gershwin).
Not only did this film renew my love of classical music, but it also rekindled my love for Judy Davis. She was simply amazing in this film. I loved the way she spilled out lines like, "I am not full of virtues and noble qualities. I love. That is all. But I love strongly, exclusively, and steadfastly." Brilliant. Davis is one of Woody Allen's most-underrated muses (see Deconstructing Harry and Husbands and Wives). It makes me sad that one of her last big movie roles was in The Break-Up.
In Impromptu, Sand is drawn to Chopin because of his music, which she calls a "miracle." Often, she'll sit under the piano and listen to him play. It kind of reminded me of the way people were drawn to rock 'n roll in the 50's and 60's, as if it were some forbidden pleasure. Clearly, though, Chopin's music speaks for itself.
