Search - The Magic Bow on DVD

A great movie that only a violinist could love.

J.P.Fibermaven | Ohio | 10/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this flick. I got a VHS dub of it about 5 years ago, and is has become one of my most prized posessions. The insane story begins with Paganini needing a new violin. It just so happens that a music professor down the street is running a contest in his apartment. The prize for the best two minute performance gets one of the professor's violins. Paganini wins and takes the Strad. Then, as a favor to a pretty girl, brings the violin to the local prison where he plays it to distract a prison guard while the girl breaks her father out of jail. So far, so good - everything sound fine. But there are a few things in the film I don't think really happened. Assuming they did allow friends of the musicians to ride their horses into the music hall, and enjoy the show from the saddle, I don't believe that one of Paganini's concertos sounded exactly like Beethoven's. Nor do I think that Paganini (1782-1840)ever saw the works of, let alone ever played any of the short pieces by, Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962). But you never know - maybe we'll see them in a new episode of Heroes or Flash Forward, or in a new Star Trek film. In any case, again - this is a great flick. Menuhin gets bigger billing than any of the actors, an his playing is in its prime. I have shown this to several (now former) friends, and none of them liked it, or even watched it past the free dad from jail sceen. My wife sat through the whole thing, but I paid in spades by having to sit through several chick flicks without complaint. You might want to watch this alone before you risk showing it to a loved one, or yourself."