The Red Violin

1998 2h 10m FR

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 463

DramaThrillerMysteryMusicRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

300 years of a remarkable musical instrument. Crafted by the Italian master Bussotti (Cecchi) in 1681, the red violin has traveled through Austria, England, China, and Canada, leaving both beauty and tragedy in its wake. In Montreal, Samuel L Jackson plays an appraiser going over its complex history.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Samuel L. Jackson
Charles Morritz (Montréal)
Carlo Cecchi
Nicolo Bussotti (Cremona)
Irene Grazioli
Anna Bussotti (Cremona)
Anita Laurenzi
Cesca (Cremona)
Tommaso Puntelli
Apprentice (Cremona)
Aldo Brugnini
Assistant (Cremona)
Samuele Amighetti
Boy (Cremona)
Jean-Luc Bideau
Georges Poussin (Vienna)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: François Girard
Writers: François Girard, Don McKellar
Languages: German, English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Italian
Countries: Austria, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Italy, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 53% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

28 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 6 languages: German, English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 7 countries: Austria, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Italy, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by François Girard, shot by Alain Dostie. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Corigliano. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gaétan Huot shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Samuel L. Jackson and Carlo Cecchi and Irene Grazioli carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

François Girard directs. Alain Dostie behind the camera. John Corigliano scores. Gaétan Huot cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Austria, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Italy, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in German, English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 53% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
228 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 6 languages: German, English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Italian.
4International production across 7 countries: Austria, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Italy, United Kingdom, United States of America.
5Directed by François Girard, shot by Alain Dostie. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by John Corigliano. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Gaétan Huot shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Samuel L. Jackson and Carlo Cecchi and Irene Grazioli carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0120802 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Alain Dostie
Original score: John Corigliano
Editing: Gaétan Huot
Production design: François Séguin
Costume design: Renée April
Makeup / hair: Meinir Jones-Lewis
Runtime: 130 min · 2h 10m
Status: Released
Budget: $18,000,000
Box office: $9,495,408
Return: 53% of budget
Original language: FR
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Red Violin (1998)

Awards

Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Motion Picture
Academy Award for Best Original Score

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

François Girard

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

atpar42014-09-16
If you're passionate about music, and history, if violins make you weak in the knees, and if you like a timeless love story, The Red Violin won't disappoint.
JPV8522024-08-19
★ 8/10
This is one I've watched a few times over the years and still like it quite a bit. Solid performances, at least from I can tell as at times I can't tell when it's in other languages, though while I like Samuel L. Jackson in his role, there were a couple Jackson-ism lines that felt out of place. Still, the filmmakers did a great job showing this violin throughout the 200 years worldwide journey. 3.75/5

Production companies