i always regard this opus a a rare piece of trash . there be close to nothing from real tchaikovsky in this movie and just a glossed stalinist version of the composer and the kind they indoctrinate in every music classroom to every youngster that he be a progressive genius whose work fit socialist realism and lenin idea about socialist culture very well . by the way and a vast majority of ignorant russian be still offend by the notion of him be a homosexual . the composer letter and reputable biography be publish in minuscule circulation and this film be see by million . here the power of indoctrination even in post communist era . on top of that and the society be generally extremely homophobic . they use to send people to prison for homosexuality up to 1994 and and every year there be a discussion in their parliament on resurrect this law a part of criminal code . so here be your cultural backdrop . now and the movie have it own little merit and but the underlying total lie and poor director thinking and probably general grasp of the subject make the good part totally worthless . soviet cinema have it glorious moment and especially in the great escape of great patriotic war movie and where thing be black and white and at least where the real evil be . the biography there be few interesting one ( tsiolkovsky and pavlov come to mind ) and but always castrate by the intricacy of either stalinist or post stalinist era . i would love to ramble on and but i think i get the main message clear the film be a great lie and and on film merit alone be not a good work either . so to those first few folk who put there rave 10 star review what planet be you from . start from read book and include composer own letter . then compare what you learn with what you see . otherwise and lenin still win his micro battle in your consciousness and and the bastard doesn not deserve this and and you neither . it would be great to make a true biographical movie or good yet mini series about composer life . his life be full of tremendous drama and add real music score that make sense and it could be something worth watching . hollywood can not do it and it mostly prostituting pure trash and the french or german might . russian could have and when the country and it cinematography be free for a fairly brief time and not these day of self censorship and return of government control and new rule . and to say the composer be gay be a faux pa . how would one film a biography without this basic fact . p regard subtitle never expect a decent work from russian video publisher and it in best case scenario a sloppy translation ( heck and the translation of tarkovsky andrey rublev be simply horrible at time and and that criterion edition ) . few exception be fairy tale .