The Red Violin (1999)

Screen It! is not attempting to rate the movie as good or bad but to give parents the tools to decide whether it's appropriate for their kids.

This movie has been screened for objectional content in 15 areas. Click for a detailed look.

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
The following is a brief summary of the content found in this unrated drama, which if rated, would certainly get an R. That's due to several sexual encounters that show nudity and movement, with another unseen one consisting of sexually related sounds. In one scene a character smokes opium, while in another a man slices a dead woman's wrist to collect her blood in an odd, homage sort of way (he uses it for another purpose). Her death and those of several other characters as well as some brief violence may be upsetting or unsettling to a few viewers, while others may not appreciate the brief and subdued supernatural like elements (tarot card reading, a seemingly cursed violin, etc...). Beyond that and some brief profanity, however, the rest of the film's categories have little or nothing in the way of major objectionable content. While it's not very likely that many kids will want to see this film, should you still be concerned about its appropriateness for anyone in your home who does want to see it, we suggest that you take a closer look at the listed content.

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: A meticulously crafted violin passes through the hands of various owners over three centuries while mysteriously touching all who possess it.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, "art house" films or stories concerning classical music, it's not very likely.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: Not Rated: Although the film is not rated, it's the equivalent of an R due to several sexual encounters and nudity.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: CARLO CECCHI plays a master craftsman who, under the strain of grief, goes to extreme measures to embody his instrument with the human spirit.
CHRISTOPH KONCZ plays a young orphan and musical prodigy with a bad heart.
JEAN-LUC BIDEAU plays a poor, but knowledgeable music expert who trains and pushes Kaspar quite hard, but ultimately cares for the boy when it initially seems he's only after fame and/or fortune through him.
JASON FLEMYNG plays an accomplished English concert violinist who has a passionate affair with a novelist (played by GRETA SCACCHI). When she leaves to continue writing, he soon becomes addicted to heroin and is later seen having sex with another woman.
SYLVIA CHANG plays a party member of the Chinese Cultural Revolution who not only saves the life of a musician (played by LIU ZIFENG), but also a prized violin, thus putting herself in danger with the anti-foreign, anti-music forces now ruling her country.
SAMUEL L. JACKSON plays a sometime curt instrument appraiser who, upon discovering that the violin he's certifying is quite valuable, does what he must to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.; CHRISTOPH KONCZ plays a young orphan and musical prodigy with a bad heart.
JEAN-LUC BIDEAU plays a poor, but knowledgeable music expert who trains and pushes Kaspar quite hard, but ultimately cares for the boy when it initially seems he's only after fame and/or fortune through him.
JASON FLEMYNG plays an accomplished English concert violinist who has a passionate affair with a novelist (played by GRETA SCACCHI). When she leaves to continue writing, he soon becomes addicted to heroin and is later seen having sex with another woman.
SYLVIA CHANG plays a party member of the Chinese Cultural Revolution who not only saves the life of a musician (played by LIU ZIFENG), but also a prized violin, thus putting herself in danger with the anti-foreign, anti-music forces now ruling her country.
SAMUEL L. JACKSON plays a sometime curt instrument appraiser who, upon discovering that the violin he's certifying is quite valuable, does what he must to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.; JEAN-LUC BIDEAU plays a poor, but knowledgeable music expert who trains and pushes Kaspar quite hard, but ultimately cares for the boy when it initially seems he's only after fame and/or fortune through him.
JASON FLEMYNG plays an accomplished English concert violinist who has a passionate affair with a novelist (played by GRETA SCACCHI). When she leaves to continue writing, he soon becomes addicted to heroin and is later seen having sex with another woman.
SYLVIA CHANG plays a party member of the Chinese Cultural Revolution who not only saves the life of a musician (played by LIU ZIFENG), but also a prized violin, thus putting herself in danger with the anti-foreign, anti-music forces now ruling her country.
SAMUEL L. JACKSON plays a sometime curt instrument appraiser who, upon discovering that the violin he's certifying is quite valuable, does what he must to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.; JASON FLEMYNG plays an accomplished English concert violinist who has a passionate affair with a novelist (played by GRETA SCACCHI). When she leaves to continue writing, he soon becomes addicted to heroin and is later seen having sex with another woman.
SYLVIA CHANG plays a party member of the Chinese Cultural Revolution who not only saves the life of a musician (played by LIU ZIFENG), but also a prized violin, thus putting herself in danger with the anti-foreign, anti-music forces now ruling her country.
SAMUEL L. JACKSON plays a sometime curt instrument appraiser who, upon discovering that the violin he's certifying is quite valuable, does what he must to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.; SYLVIA CHANG plays a party member of the Chinese Cultural Revolution who not only saves the life of a musician (played by LIU ZIFENG), but also a prized violin, thus putting herself in danger with the anti-foreign, anti-music forces now ruling her country.
SAMUEL L. JACKSON plays a sometime curt instrument appraiser who, upon discovering that the violin he's certifying is quite valuable, does what he must to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.; SAMUEL L. JACKSON plays a sometime curt instrument appraiser who, upon discovering that the violin he's certifying is quite valuable, does what he must to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

DETAILED CONTENT LISTING:
Click on a category for specific details or scroll through the page for a broader overview.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): Georges has what appears to be a glass of wine with his meal.
We see what may be some sort of liquor in a glass next to Pope.
We see Pope smoking what's presumably opium from an opium pipe lit by his Oriental attendant.
Evan pours what appears to be wine for himself and Charles.

BLOOD/GORE: MILD (Return to Summary Chart): Although it's not gory or bloody, we briefly see a boy's body in a freshly opened grave (the work of grave robbers).
While neither bloody nor gory, we do see a dead man slumped over a table with his eyes wide open.
Blood runs from a dead woman's slit-open wrists into a bowel and is later mixed with another liquid.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: HEAVY (Return to Summary Chart): Some viewers may not like the fortune telling aspects of the story (a pregnant woman visits a tarot card reader) or the slight supernatural aspects of the story regarding the violin.
It initially appears that Georges has some of both in the way in which he treats/trains Kaspar (as if he's hoping to gain fame and/or fortune from the boy's talent and that's why he pushes him so hard), but he turns out to really care for the boy.
A man for whom Kaspar is to audition has a pompous, aristocratic attitude toward the orphan boy.
We see that some gypsies have dug up graves for the belongings inside them.
Although Pope and Victoria aren't necessarily a couple (they appear to be having an affair), she catches him with another woman.
Some may see the Chinese Cultural Revolution and its edict that all things foreign--including music--are bad, as having some of both.
Charles lies to a bidder about the identify of the red violin.
A man plots and then steals the violin.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): Getting bad news about his wife, Nicolo races through town with the messenger (as suspenseful music plays).
We see a boy collapse and then learn that he's died.
Having discovered Pope having sex with another woman, Victoria threatens both with a loaded pistol.
Communist party members--informed that Xiang is harboring foreign music--come looking for her (but don't find her).
Although it's not gory or bloody, we briefly see a boy's body in a freshly opened grave (the work of grave robbers), and later see a dead man slumped over a table with his eyes wide open (both may be unsettling to some viewers--just from being dead bodies).
A man takes a knife and holds it to a dead woman's wrist that he then slices open to collect some blood.
A man steals the violin and appears destined to be caught or to face some horrible calamity (and is nearly hit by a car) based on what's happened to others who've possessed it.

GUNS/WEAPONS: MILD (Return to Summary Chart): Pistol: Aimed by Victoria at Pope and his lover after she's found them in a tryst. She then fires a shot that hits the violin.
Rifles: Worn by Chinese youths during a performance (while dressed like soldiers).
Knife: Used by a man to slit a dead woman's wrist.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: MINOR (Return to Summary Chart): Phrase: "Sluttish."

JUMP SCENES: NONE (Return to Summary Chart): None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): Somewhat ominous music plays throughout much of the film, with several scenes also getting more traditional suspenseful music.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): NONE (Return to Summary Chart): None.

PROFANITY: MILD (Return to Summary Chart): In English: At least 3 S.O.B.s, 1 damn, 1 ass, and 2 uses of "G-damn," while the phrases "Dear God, "For God's sake" and "Oh my God" appear in English subtitles.

SEX/NUDITY: HEAVY (Return to Summary Chart): Anna shows a little bit of cleavage, and in one scene we see her pregnant belly.
The fortune teller states that "he'll seduce you with his talent and worse," referring to Pope. As such we see him and Victoria together before his concert. He suggestively tells her, "I feel a composition coming on." She seductively replies, "So do I" and they then passionately kiss. We then hear pulsating violin music and the sounds of them having sex (as do those who pass by and then stop in front of their closed door). We continue to hear such sexual sounds (breathing, moaning, etc...) but don't see any activity.

Later, Pope walks in while Victoria writes and says that he has something that needs to be worked out and addressed. Although she wants to continue writing, Pope begins playing the violin. Thus, she gets up and undresses in front of him (we see her bare butt and the side of her breasts) and then walks around behind him where she licks his neck as he continues to play (as she asks, "Is this what you wanted?"). She then comes around him again where we briefly see her bare breasts and she then kisses his bare stomach. She then runs her hand down inside his pants and it's implied that they have sex. As such, we see them afterwards, lying next to one another. Thus, we see the side of his bare butt, as well as glimpses of hers and parts of her bare breast (as she lies behind him from our point of view).
As we hear his and Victoria's letters read to each other, we see Pope lying alone, but nude in his bed with the violin being the only thing covering his crotch. As such, he sensuously strokes the instrument's neck.
We briefly see Pope and a woman having sex. Both are nude and she's on his lap where we see movement and her bare breasts.

SMOKING: MINOR (Return to Summary Chart): Victoria smokes once, while a few miscellaneous characters also smoke.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): A man learns that his wife has died.
A man must deal with the death of a boy he had somewhat adopted.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): Whether the violin really had a curse on it that caused the problems that enveloped those who possessed it.
The deaths that occur during the film.
Grave robbers (we see that some gypsies have dug up a grave).
The Chinese Cultural Revolution and its ban on all things foreign--including music.

VIOLENCE: MILD (Return to Summary Chart): Nicolo smashes a violin an apprentice has made since it doesn't meet his quality requirements.
We see a father/guardian walking out of an audition with a young boy whom he's firmly holding/dragging by the ear.
Victoria briefly reads or describes passages from her novel that talk about murder.
Having discovered Pope having sex with another woman, Victoria threatens both with a loaded pistol. She then fires a shot that strikes the violin.
We hear Pope's voice-over of planning to commit suicide via drowning or poisoning, but we never learn which method he chose.
A violin is purposefully burned, and a woman likewise breaks many albums.
Communist party members kick in Xiang's door.
A man takes a knife and holds it to a dead woman's wrist that he then slices open to collect some blood.