Shine (DVD)

...pretty impressive credentials. But did SHINE live up to the hype?

To begin with on a superficial level, SHINE, is unfairly perceived to fall into the 'classical arts film'' category, as the story basically concerns itself with a young, gifted Australian classical pianist, David Helfgott, The fact that classical music features abundantly in this film may unfortunately put off many younger viewers who prefer to watch films featuring ...
...an admirer.

SHINE isn't all deadly serious stuff.There are some wonderful humorous quotes scattered throughout the film. For example, when Isaac Stern offers the American scholarship to David who looks puzzled when he tells him it's in America, Stern adds "America. You know, land of the free, home of the brave. You know, Mickey Mouse." And there are other equally amusing lines and incidents.

SHINE is controversial ... more

SHINE, an Australian film drama was released in early 1997, and later that year its main actor, Geoffrey Rush, picked up both Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for Best Actor. Its Australian director, Scott Hicks was nominated for an Oscar as Best Director, and received the prestigious David Lean Award For Direction at the BAFTAs. So pretty impressive credentials. But did SHINE live up to the hype?

To begin with on a superficial level, SHINE, is unfairly perceived to fall into the 'classical arts film'' category, as the story basically concerns itself with a young, gifted Australian classical pianist, David Helfgott, The fact that classical music features abundantly in this film may unfortunately put off many younger viewers who prefer to watch films featuring pop culture, when it comes to music. However, if you are looking for a strong storyline with good characters, emotional involvement and an uplifting conclusion, this may be the film for you. Being a classical music fan isn't really essential to appreciating this film, but of course it probably helps.. There are some wonderful pieces of music in the film, not least Vivaldi's "Nulla in mundo pax", played at a few times in the film, including the end.

The story opens with a disheveled, middle-aged man, stumbling around in heavy rain and constantly muttering apparent nonsense to himself. From here, we flashback to David as a young boy from a poor German immigrant family in the 1950s, and the relationship with his father, who is portrayed as a dominant and obsessive parent, and an old fashioned disciplinarian. It is he who introduces David to music in the first place, branding the immortal words upon his mind early on: "I know life is cruel, but music will always be your friend. Everything else will let you down in the end". From then on David is subjected to intense pressure by his father to learn Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto, a tortuous work, even for accomplished adult pianists to achieve. Young David is put through music competitions playing recitals of lesser works, but has mixed success in winning them, which only makes his 'determined to win' father bully and humiliate him even further. Eventually Isaac Stern, the acclaimed violinist , hears David's playing, while visiting Australia and offers him a scholarship at an American academy.. This seems like great news, but soon afterwards, David's father steps in, and refuses to let his son go, claiming the family needs his support. After this initial blow, a few years on, when David is now a nervous and awkward adolescent, he is given a second bite of the cherry, when he is offered a scholarship at the Royal College of Music in England. Again his father intervenes, and forbids David to go. However after a serious and violent argument over this, David decides to defy his father and takes up the course. At this point his father disowns David, and they never see or communicate with each other again until many years later.

David moves to England to begin his course. He is personally tutored by Professor Cecil Parkes (John Geilgud). When asked by Parkes which work David wants to specialize in on the course, David suggests Rachmaninov's piano Concerto 3. At first the tutor is dead aganst the idea, as he considers it far too difficult , but David is insistent, and for the first time undergoes tackling this mammoth piece seriously. After months of intense study and practice, day and night and self-deprivation, David finally overcomes all obstacles and masters the concerto, and performs it.publicly with success. However all the preparation and effort beforehand proves too much for him, and after the performance, David has a debilitating mental breakdown which was to afflict him for the foreseeable future.

Now reduced to a shambling and mumbling human wreck, David returns to Australia and is assigned to a mental institution as a day patient. For years, he has given up playing the piano, until one day during a sing-along entertainment session at the hospital, he helps out the pianist, and sits beside her, when he discovers his interest in music, and playing the piano has been re-kindled. Although advised by doctors not to touch the piano again, David ignores the advice, and starts to practice again to realize that his touch has not deserted him. From here on his confidence slowly returns, and by winning new friends over once again he begins to build a reputation for himself in Australia as a pianist of distinction. Eventually against all odds he largely overcomes his mental handicap and even finds marriage.to an admirer.

SHINE isn't all deadly serious stuff.There are some wonderful humorous quotes scattered throughout the film. For example, when Isaac Stern offers the American scholarship to David who looks puzzled when he tells him it's in America, Stern adds "America. You know, land of the free, home of the brave. You know, Mickey Mouse." And there are other equally amusing lines and incidents.

SHINE is controversial as to how accurately it interprets the events in David's life. Was David's father primarily responsible for the outcome of his son's mental state later on in his life? Was his father 's character reasonably accurate or totally misrepresented for dramatic effect? Was David Helfgott as accomplished or important a pianist as the film tries to portray? I know of a number of famous classical pianists, but had not heard of David before I saw this film. I won't delve further into this, but just say one should perhaps enjoy the film as a fictional story and not worry about how true the events are.

On many levels, particularly in the acting SHINE is a great if slightly disjointed film partly due to the time flashing backwards and forwards, but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. I also think it's a film that needs to be seen more than once. It took me 2 viewings with a 6 month gap in between to appreciate it properly. A definite must-see for anyone with a mature outlook and a reasonable attention span. 

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