Forensic crime-solving dramas may be all the rage on network television, but Larry Weinstein's cheeky little documentary Beethoven's Hair, based on the book of the same name by Russell Martin, is a definite cut above. The film traces the peregrinations of a lock of Beethoven's hair—clipped from his head by young music student Ferdinand Hiller on the day after the composer's death in 1827—culminating in a recent scientific examination aimed at uncovering the medical causes of the well-documented maladies, including deafness, that plagued the musical genius. This surprisingly ambitious picture combines interviews, historical reenactments, and clips from earlier films to serve up not only a portrayal of Beethoven's life and painful demise, but also relate the most mysterious episode in the lock's journey—when it's passed to the family of a Danish doctor, apparently as a gift from a Jewish refugee fleeing the Nazis. An auction of the hair ultimately brought it to the United States, where it's now jointly owned by Beethoven-loving Arizonans with most unlikely names, retiree Ira Brilliant and urologist Che Guevara. The pair's decision to have the hair tested in the hope of unlocking its medical secrets actually bears fruit, and in a nice coda proves helpful in the treatment of an Australian man suffering from similar symptoms. Beethoven's Hair is a fascinating detective story, well told. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)
Beethoven's Hair
(2005) 84 min. VHS or DVD: $295. Rhombus Media (dist. by Bullfrog Films). PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-59458-353-6 (vhs), 1-59458-354-4 (dvd). Volume 21, Issue 5
Beethoven's Hair
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