Beethoven Netsuzo (2025)

Beethoven but Japanese; Not flawless but a VERY good time

Okay, this is a very blown up/exaggerated rating, but I fear I cannot stay neutral here since I’m a huge Yamada Yuki fan. #yukicult
It was amazing being able to catch the international premiere of this movie, especially in the city it’s mostly set in. The film follows Schindler, Beethoven’s extremely devoted secretary, who works tirelessly to preserve Beethoven's image while idolizing him to the extreme.

The premise itself is quite fascinating: an entirely Japanese cast playing Europeans in a "fake 19th century Europe" built on LED screens which were definitely noticeable at times, sometimes more than others. Of course, I constantly found myself wondering which parts of Vienna they were trying to capture in those bird's-eye shots.

The actors really gave it their all despite the strange setup and story. Yamada Yuki carried for sure! I love him in slightly unhinged roles and this was no exception. I even caught myself rooting for his (delusional?) character, though maybe that’s just my bias.

It’s also interesting how about 90% of the film is told through voiceover rather than dialogue. With its 115-minute runtime it’s certainly not particularly long but I feel it could’ve been tighter and more engaging if cut down to around 90 minutes. Some of the monologues felt like they went on for a bit too long and kept going in circles.

My friend pointed out some historical inaccuracies in the costumes, apparently mixing styles from different eras. I can’t really comment on that but I feel like if I knew anything about it, it wouldn’t bother me that much. The film isn’t concerned with strict historical accuracy — on the contrary, it’s exactly focused on the tension between myth and reality. How much truth are we willing to ignore to keep enjoying the fantasy?

Overall, I had a really good time. The audience was laughing a lot, the atmosphere was great and it just felt special to experience this film on the big screen. I hope I will be able to rewatch it as soon as possible.

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