''Kinski Paganini'', also known simply as ''Paganini'', is a 1989

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

biographical film A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

written, directed by and starring

Klaus Kinski Klaus Kinski (, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991) was a German actor, equally renowned for his intense performance style and notorious for his volatile personality. He appeared in over 130 film roles in a c ...

. The story is based on the life and career of

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

virtuoso A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'' or , "virtuous", Late Latin ''virtuosus'', Latin ''virtus'', "virtue", "excellence" or "skill") is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as ...

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

ist

Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices f ...

. It was Kinski's final film before his death in 1991. The film also stars Kinski's young wife ( Debora Kinski) and son (

Nikolai Kinski Nanhoï Nikolai Kinski (born July 30, 1976) is a French-American film actor, who has also done work in television and on stage. He was born in Paris, and grew up in California. Currently residing in Berlin, he has acted primarily in American and ...

) alongside him. Klaus Kinski felt that he and Paganini had led similar lives, and both gave "demonic" performances in their own fields that often sparked great controversy. In his 1999 documentary ''

My Best Fiend ''My Best Fiend'' (german: Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski, literally ''My Dearest Foe - Klaus Kinski'') is a 1999 German documentary film written and directed by Werner Herzog, about his tumultuous yet productive relationship with German actor ...

'', frequent collaborator

Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with un ...

explains that Kinski repeatedly asked him to direct the film, but Herzog refused because he thought the script was "

unfilmable Unfilmability is a type of medium specificity which prevents a work of literature from undergoing successful film adaptation. A wide variety of considerations can lead to a work being seen as unfilmable. These include aesthetic conventions, audience ...

". Herzog also states that the preparation for his role in ''Kinski Paganini'' caused the actor to take on an uncomfortable "alien" air that disrupted Kinski's performance in their last film together, ''

Cobra Verde ''Cobra Verde'' (also known as ''Slave Coast'') is a 1987 German drama film directed by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski, in their fifth and final collaboration. Based upon Bruce Chatwin's 1980 novel ''The Viceroy of Ouidah'', the film de ...

''.

Plot

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

about the life of Niccolò Paganini, who many consider to be one of the greatest violinists who ever lived.

Cast

* Debora Kinski as Antonia Bianchi * Nicolai Kinski as Achille Paganini *

Dalila Di Lazzaro Dalila Di Lazzaro (born 29 January 1953) is an Italian model, actress and writer. Life and career Born in Udine, Di Lazzaro started as a fashion model and was the subject of famous photographers such as Andy Warhol. She then gained attention i ...

as Helene von Feuerbach *

Tosca D'Aquino Tosca D'Aquino (born 10 June 1966) is an Italian actress, comedian and television presenter. Life and career Born in Naples, Tosca D'Aquino started her career at 15 years old, appearing in several local television shows. At nineteen years old ...

as Angiolina Cavanna *

Eva Grimaldi Eva Grimaldi (born Milva Perinoni, 7 September 1961) is an Italian actress and model. Biography Born in Nogarole Rocca, Grimaldi debuted as a nude model in ''Playmen'' and as a soubrette in the Antonio Ricci's TV-show '' Drive In''. She ma ...

as Maria Anna Elisa Bonaparte *

Donatella Rettore Donatella Rettore, also simply known as Rettore (born 8 July 1955, in Castelfranco Veneto, Province of Treviso) is an Italian singer and songwriter. Rettore started her singing career in 1973. Her early recordings was oriented towards Italian ...

as Miss Wells *

Bernard Blier Bernard Blier (11 January 1916 – 29 March 1989) was a French character actor. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his father, a researcher at the Pasteur Institute, was posted at the time. Life and career His rotund features an ...

as Father Caffarelli

Production

recalled with shock her experience in the film: "I suffered the harassment of Kinski's very difficult nature. Going back I would not make this film because I suffered a lot. He was a very violent man. I had a complicated relationship, he was bossy, I had bruises." In his autobiography, Kinski, describing one of these scenes with D'Aquino, wrote, "She was embarrassed and closed her legs. I had to block them violently. When I penetrated her with my fingers, she squirmed and moaned."

DVD release

Since its theatrical run, the film had only been released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

and VHS in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, but in late 2011, the film was released for the first time in North America on a two disc special edition DVD. The release contained deleted and extended scenes, the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

interviews for the film, and both the theatrical as well as the director's cut containing an additional 14 minutes of previously cut footage.

References

External links

* 1989 films Films directed by Klaus Kinski Films about classical music and musicians Films set in the 19th century Films about composers Biographical films about musicians Films about violins and violinists Cultural depictions of Niccolò Paganini 1989 directorial debut films 1980s Italian-language films {{bio-film-stub