MAESTRO or How to Conduct a One Note Movie by armen pandola

MAESTRO

Or How to Conduct a One Note Movie

by armen pandola

Leonard Bernstein was one of the great musical talents of the 20th century. Like many people of a certain age, I first learned his name and heard his music when I saw the film, "West Side Story." Then, I began watching the 'Young People Concerts' and discovered classical music. Bernstein never talked down to us, his audience. He made classical music approachable and, most importantly, exciting. Whenever I could, I listened to or watched his concerts and bought his records.

So, I looked forward to a film biography of him. How did this son of a toupee maker become one of the most admired conductors, composers, teachers and performers of our time? What qualities did he have that made his music so exciting, so life-enhancing. He seemed to conquer every medium he touched. The amazing film score for "On the Waterfront", the hit musical theater shows, TV shows, albums, classical compositions - it was all too much for one person.

Bradley Cooper's "Maestro" is not interested in any of these questions. Instead, it is devoted, entirely, to his personal life with a few mentions of his professional successes and one gaudy, Oscar-hopeful scene when Lenny (the movie character) conducts Mahler.

If a person knew nothing of Bernstein's life and saw this movie, he would wonder what all the hoopla is about.

The movie has no context - none. It begins with an aged Bernstein playing the piano before a film crew and then suddenly jumps back in time (and into black and white - a real cliché). The b/w is supposed to tell you the time period - long ago. Lenny gets a phone call and goes berserk with joy while his male bed companion goes on sleeping. Soon, we are sleeping too.

I knew that Bernstein was married and that he was bi-sexual, but I never read gossip and so had no idea and no interest in his private life. "Maestro" is about that private life and his relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegro (Carry Mulligan). While a couple of other characters have a few moments of screen time, none are 'characters,' but merely background. "Maestro" is a pas de deux.

The movie jumps around without any identifiable purpose. Nothing about his music is explored or his beliefs. His early commitment to the state of Israel, his controversial political beliefs, his legacy of creating institutions for musical study - not even his incredible concert at the site of the then- recently fallen Berlin Wall - nothing is explored in this movie but Lenny and his penchant for young men and the effect that has on his marriage.

For the first half of the movie, there is no drama, no comedy - nothing. It's as if Andy Wharhol filmed his life in jump cuts. Then the first conflict in the movie is his wife telling Lenny that he is becoming careless and his bi-sexuality is becoming too public. This is strange since early on, presumably in the late 1940s, we see Lenny on a busy New York street embracing and kissing on the lips a male lover. Lenny is never inhibited about his desires. So why the sudden concern?

Again, no context. Bernstein avoided all the terrible prejudices against homosexuals during his time by marrying and having children. Yes, he loved Felicia and his children, but it was convenient that he did marry since he probably would never have headed a major orchestra if he had not. No mention of any of this.

So the movie jumps along. It ends with his marriage falling apart because of his lack of discretion (but he never had discretion so why it suddenly matters is unexplored), then coming back together when Felicia is diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread to her lungs. Lenny returns to be with her during her final months. After her death, he announces that he must have total freedom if he is to fulfill his artistic goals and the next scenes show his attachment to a young male student, snorting cocaine and dancing wildly in a disco - as if that is what freedom is.

I am sorry for Bernstein's legacy. We are the stories we tell about ourselves. Future generations will watch this movie and may think that this was his life. But what we do in bed does not define us. Not even our marriages define us. We define ourselves by all that we do and Leonard Bernstein did more for music in the 20th century than any other American - and telling that story would have been a great movie.