X
- 2003
- Not Rated
- New Yorker Films
- 1 h 48 m
- 2003
- Not Rated
- New Yorker Films
- 1 h 48 m
Summary A tale based on the life of Wilhelm Furtwängler, the controversial conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic whose tenure coincided with the controversial Nazi era.
Directed By: István Szabó
Written By: Ronald Harwood
- 2003
- Not Rated
- New Yorker Films
- 1 h 48 m
- 2003
- Not Rated
- New Yorker Films
- 1 h 48 m
Taking Sides
61
5.8
Summary A tale based on the life of Wilhelm Furtwängler, the controversial conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic whose tenure coincided with the controversial Nazi era.
Directed By: István Szabó
Written By: Ronald Harwood
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 26 Critic Reviews
61
58% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
35% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
8% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 26 Critic Reviews
61
58% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
35% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
8% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
After a somewhat shaky start, the film gradually settles in to become another extraordinarily powerful and explosively acted drama that deftly probes the moral responsibility of an artist in a totalitarian society.
Sparked by the actors' powerful performances, Arnold's moral absolutism and Furtwängler's lofty aestheticism make for a dramatically compelling clash.
Ronald Harwood's screenplay, based on his stage play, brings an impressive range of moral and political issues into play. The acting is also strong.
A compelling look at a vexa tious question, Taking Sides is, at times, hamstrung by its own ambiguity.
Taking Sides has a padded-out, stagebound quality that is anything but lyrical. And Szabó, a Hungarian best known for "Mephisto" and "Colonel Redl," is not at his best here.
Be sure to stay for the coda, a damning piece of newsreel that casts much of what went before in a whole new light.
The movie's promise -- to provide a balanced argument -- goes unrealized, and all we're left with is the spectacle of an idiot bullying a genius.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 5 User Ratings
5.8
40% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
20% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
40% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 5 User Ratings
5.8
40% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
20% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
40% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company
Paladin Production S.A.,
Maecenas Film- und Fernseh GmbH,
Studio Babelsberg,
Little Big Bear Filmproduktion GmbH,
Canal+,
Enterprise Films,
France 2 Cinéma,
Jeremy Isaacs Productions Ltd.,
MBP (Germany),
Satel Film,
Spice Factory,
TwanPix Ltd.
Release Date Sep 5, 2003
Duration 1 h 48 m
Rating Not Rated
Awards
Mar del Plata Film Festival
• 5 Wins & 6 Nominations
Flaiano Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
Hungarian Film Critics Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
