A Dialogue Concerning the Pond Scene in Immortal Beloved

by Michael Beckerman

I can't believe you're even going to waste time in a prestigious publication like the Beethoven Forum writing about a trashy movie like Immortal Beloved.

Not only am I going to write about it, but I am going to praise it, extravagantly, for some things!

That's ridiculous, you can't learn anything from bad movies.

Of course you can, though I'm not admitting the film is bad. You can learn an enormous amount from problematic works, and I'll admit that Immortal Beloved has its problems, but so does every film, musical composition, or person I've ever met, and that doesn't stop me from learning from them.

Oh, how banal and broadminded of you! Just where do you locate the importance of Immortal Beloved?

Well, I'd start with the pond scene.

Another travesty! Yet another flagrant abuse of the Ninth Symphony. When will it ever end?

Let's get away from that kind of talk and start with something more nuanced. Even if you didn't like the scene it would be a choice example of a cinepoem.

Cinepoem, what on earth could that be? Have you gone and made up some jargon?
I thought you hated jargon!