SHINE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
It widely acknowledged that there is a fine line between genius
and madness. Less well recognized is the narrow separation between a
father's obsessive love and an abusive domination. SHINE is a true
story of an Australian piano prodigy that examines this border between
brilliance and insanity and between protection and suffocation. With
some incredible performances, expect to see this movie on many best of
the year lists.
As the story opens, we see an apparently homeless person, David
Helfgott (Geoffrey Rush), babbling nonsense in the rain. His manic
speech pattern has the cadence of an auctioneer, and his sentences
sound like gibberish. As he does throughout his adult life, he smokes
a cigarette rain or shine, even while jogging to get fresh air.
The story is told in a long series of flashbacks. The first is to
David (Alex Rafalowicz) at about age seven playing in a piano contest.
He loses, but one of the judges, Ben Rosen (Nicholas Bell), offers to
tutor him.
You see David has never had a lesson other than from his
autocratic and stubborn father, Peter (Armin Mueller-Stahl from THE
MUSIC BOX). His father is self taught and proud of it. His children
can learn music and become stars without help from the outside. He
can teach them everything they need to know.
The sets by Vicki Niehus capture well the poverty of the Helfgott
(means Help God) family. They live in a house with a corrugated
aluminum exterior and a peeling paint interior. Rosen, in contrast,
has a huge white house with verandas on every side and every floor.
When David (Noah Taylor from FLIRTING) becomes an adolescent, he
is offered a place at a great music school in the US by Isaac Stern
(Randall Berger). As Stern puts it, "America. You know, land of the
free, home of the brave. You know, Mickey Mouse." But, it is not to
be.
David's father runs the household with an iron glove. He does it
as a protective mechanism since he is a Polish Jew who survived the
Holocaust. Peter's violin had been smashed by his father. Peter
abuses David, and one can assume that his father probably abused him.
Most of Peter's abuse of his family is mental, but he does hit David
some. He alternates behind hugging and telling him how much he loves
him, and trying to toughen him up. Peter cautions his son, "In this
world only the strong survive. The weak get crushed like insects."
The film has three great performances. Rush will probably draw
the most praise, but I was just as impressed by Mueller-Stahl and
Taylor. The effect that Peter has on David is devastating and almost
terminal, but you will find yourself feeling sorry for Peter as well.
He can barely cope with the world, and life has not been kind to him.
In most films, when the father terrorizes the son this much, the
audience instantly hates the villain father. Here it is much more
complex. The script by Jan Sardi and the directing by Scott Hicks
never go for the cheap thrills or easy put-downs. This is not a
documentary, but it has a documentary's inherent authenticity.
Eventually, David gets a scholarship and goes to the Royal College
in England. There he is trained by Cecil Parkes (John Gielgud), and
there he finally plays the almost impossible Rachmaninoff Piano
Concerto No. 3, known as Rack 3 to pianists. His father tried to force
it on him at age seven.
The concert at the Royal College, where he plays the Rack 3, is
the centerpiece of the film. The cinematography by Geoffrey Simpson
(LITTLE WOMEN) is at its best here. Watch how David's hair is backlit
so that you can see the sweat pouring off of every hair follicle.
Simpson uses a blend of speeds which the editor (Philippa Karmel) then
combines into a montage that leaves the viewer as exhausted as David.
At a certain point, David's brain snaps. It is easy to understand
some of the possible reasons. After electroshock therapy he becomes
little more that a curiosity back in Australia. Like an animal at a
circus side show, he plays to amuse the crowds at restaurants. They
get a kick out of seeing a guy who appears crazy being able to play
such lovely and difficult classical music.
As could only happen in a true life story, there is an astrologer
named Gillian (Lynn Redgrave) who shows up. Although engaged, she
ditches her fiance to marry David. If it weren't real, this part would
have been ludicrous.
There is much to admire in SHINE, but its beauty has to be seen
and heard. The piano music in the film is played by the real life
David Helfgott, and it is sublime. Words can not adequately convey
this moving tale. Scott Hicks could have approached this story as a
morose tragedy. Instead he has us look David in the eye and see his
humanity and his gift. An uplifting story of a person who learns how
to cope with the brutalities of his existence, and if not thrive, at
least survive. He goes from being a sane but unhappy child to being an
insane but finally happy adult.
SHINE runs 1:45. It is rated PG-13. There is some rear male
nudity, very brief sex, and the violence of hitting. There is no bad
language. Given its frank treatment of child abuse, I would suggest
the film is for kids only say eleven and up. I recommend the picture
strongly and give it *** 1/2.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film.
*** = Excellent show. Look for it.
** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable.
* = Poor show. Don't waste your money.
0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: December 17, 1996
Have I Seen This Movie: Yes
And What Did I Think?: Shine is an appropriate name for this film because it really does shine from an amazing performance by Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush. He portrays real-life pianist David Helfgott who is a genius at playing the piano but suffers a breakdown after he is driven by his father and teachers. He spends a few years in a mental institution and then tries to get his life back together by returning to the one true thing he loves, playing the piano. He starts by playing piano in a bar and eventually returns to the concert hall. There are some great perfomances in this movie, most notably Geoffrey Rush who received both an Oscar and a Golden Globe award, among others as well. Also Noah Taylor, who plays David in his teenage years gives a great performance too. In addition to Rush's and Taylor's perforance, Armin Mueller-Stahl gives a stirring performance as David's abusive father who beats him. He wants nothing to seperate his family and denies David from leaving home to study music. Once David decides to go anyway, his father disowns him. This deeply affects David and is key to driving him to his breakdown. John Gielgud plays David's music teacher at college and also partly contributes by pushing David too hard. The first part of the movie has a lot to offer with the relationship between David and his father. However, the second part of the movie which involves David's relationship with Gillian, played by Lyn Redgrave is kind of rushed and we don't see much passion between the two, and we are left wondering what exactly Gillian sees in David. However it is rather amusing to see David's ecentric behavior here which Geoffrey Rush does brilliantly. Shine is defintely worth watching if you want to see a funny, smart drama and to see the true genius of David Helfgott.
I give Shine 4 out of 5 stars
Review written January 11, 2000