- Actors: Tim Roth, Clive Owen
- Director: Francois Girard
- Disc Format: NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: Parents Strongly CautionedPG-13
- Studio: Sony Mod
- Release Date: March 24, 2020
- Run Time: 113 minutes
There is something to be said about filmmaking
that is bold, but choices also need to work for the audience. The Song of Names offers up a predictably
emotional narrative which is not so much about the Holocaust as it is about the
aftermath. While this is far from original, the decision to center the story on
an extremely flawed character is a new addition to an otherwise obligatory
tragic tale. This decision alone could have made for an interesting character
study, but the film refuses to give insight into the most questionable
decisions made by the characters, particularly the one at the center. Our
protagonist is a round character, fully formed, but unfortunately he is not the
center of the narrative, and simply the one attempting to understand the
enigmatic character that is.
The film follows
a music teacher named Martin (Tim Roth), whose adult life has been dedicated to
the mystery of the disappearance of his best friend, Dovidl (Clive Owen).
Through a series of often intrusive flashbacks, we learn that Dovidl joined
Martin’s family as a young violin protégé, as well as way for him to escape the
increased danger in Poland. As Dovidl and Martin grow up together, they become inseparable,
despite initial difficulty getting along. The situation seems perfect, but
Dovidl cannot help but worry about his family as the Nazis occupy. Try as
Martin does to be there for his friend, there is a separation between the two
of them in Dovidl’s Jewish heritage.
As the young
boys grow into young men, Dovidl’s prodigy with violin lands him a highly
anticipated concert, which Martin’s father funds on his own. When Dovidl fails
to show up for the concert, he is never heard from again. 35 years later,
Martin is still searching for him, finding clues that have him traveling across
the globe. When he eventually finds him, as we know he will do to the
advertised casting of Owen in the role, the answers he discovers are both
expected and unfulfilling. Even the cruel (and also predictable) final twist of
the narrative comes without much fanfare, leaving the whole endeavor to feel a
bit lackluster and, worse yet, pointless. As senselessly cruel as the Holocaust
was, the narrative of The Song of Names
only adds to the misery by giving us the actions of selfish characters. Grief
and tragedy cannot excuse the decisions made by some of the characters, and it
detracts from the feelings of empathy the narrative clearly wants from the
audience.
It almost feels
as though the genius of Dovidl’s violin playing is meant to excuse a great deal
of characters flaws. It is one thing to have a flawed character in the
narrative, but The Song of Names
seems to have no interest in even understanding these flaws. It merely uses
them to move the plot forward when necessary, but this results in the feeling
that we are forced to spend nearly two hours with characters that are more than
a little inexplicable.
The Blu-ray
release for The Song of Names
includes a handful of featurettes in the extras, with two of them remaining
focused on the music of the film. This shouldn’t be surprising for a story that
centers on a violin prodigy, though the film itself contains surprisingly little
music. The third extra is a basic promotional behind-the-scenes featurette.
There is also a theatrical trailer.
Entertainment Value:
5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6.5/10
Historical
Significance: 4/10
Special Features: 4/10
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