We have been curious to see the movie “ Desire for Love“ about Chopin and finally we watched it last weekend.
This story is about the relationship between Frederic Chopin and George Sand and her children.
The title “ Desire for love “ exactly fits with the story.
This is not a full bio about Chopin’s life and his music, ( although the soundtrack is absolutely awesome, with masterful performances of Chopin’s music by top pianists ), but mainly focuses on Chopin’s life after he met George Sand and their relationship.
But Ray and I both actually really enjoyed it and watched it three times already.
It’s impossible to show all the details of Chopin’s life, and even his relationship with George Sand within 2 hours.
For casting, we both thought all the casts they used for this movie was good with great acting, except for Franz Liszt.
And this is my only Con for this movie is that the actor they used to play Franz Liszt did not fit him at all.
IMO, his image doesn’t fit with Franz Liszt’s image and his personality and character. Liszt was known as a charismatic, charming, handsome gentleman artist, and the world‘s first rock star.
Also, the actor who plays him has dark brown hair, whereas Liszt had blond hair, and Chopin had dark brown hair, but the actor who plays Chopin has light brown, almost blonde hair.
However, the scene where Liszt plays Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude was awesome !!!
And the reason is because of the pianist they used for the soundtrack.
Wow !!!
I’m wondering which pianist played that part ?
In the movie it shows how when Chopin first arrived in Paris, he had great difficulty selling his music, no one wanted to publish his compositions ( this is really unbelievable. ) .
His music style was too original, and not what was the music trend at the time. And his servant suggested Chopin to share the stage with Liszt or Thalberg in concert for the public to get to know him better.
But Chopin was really depressed and frustrated and saying “ No, it won't work !“.
Somehow, maybe secretly, his servant arranged with Liszt , for Liszt to play Chopin’s Etude Revolutionary in a concert and Chopin was invited to the concert.
It was a big surprise, suddenly it was announced that Liszt will play Frederic Chopin’s composition the Etude Revolutionary .
And Chopin was shocked and started looking at the reaction of audience with fear but soon Liszt’s playing was so confident and he played so perfectly the Etude Revolutionary that Chopin relaxed and took it all in.
Also, Liszt playing was so emotional that it made Chopin to picture the horrible scenes of Poland’s struggle with Russia, the war scenes, his family, and his house, his piano.
Liszt played it excellently and got a standing ovation and when he finished Chopin praised Liszt a lot, hugged and thanked him.
Then the lady announcer of the event, asked Chopin to play next, she said “ it’s your turn “. Chopin was shocked
and said “ After Liszt ?? !! But you said I won’t have to play in this concert ! “
She answered
“ I changed my mind. A woman’s prerogative. This is a great opportunity for you to play your music. Anyways, someone has to play after Liszt. ”
Then Chopin agreed.
And since then, Chopin’s music started becoming well-known. Liszt and Thalrberg were already famous pianists at that time.
I must also special thank to Liszt and whoever set up to play Chopin’s music in the concert.
Because without that opportunity, Chopin’s music might not be legendary as it is now. Besides being an amazing concert performer, Liszt was a naturally great marketer as well .
No matter how amazing the music, but without great marketing, it will never sell. (IMO)
Another great part in this movie was the camera work and images they used , the scenery was beautiful.
I love 19th century’s European street scenery and people’s fashion. Everyone looked elegant.
Also Chopin’s music they used really fit with the story.
It’s a thinkable movie to me as well.
We can see how feelings of lack of love can easily make trouble.
However, I’m still not sure why Chopin and Sand broke up.
I’ve read that they met each other at a party hosted by countess Marie d;Agoult, who was Franz Liszt’s girlfriend and George Sand’s friend.
And Franz Liszt introduced Chopin to George Sand.
In the beginning Chopin was not interested in George Sand ( whose real name was Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin), and didn’t have good impression of her, as she was wearing man’s outfit ( for her work as an author, this helped her career as it was really men's world at that time , ) and had a somewhat manly personality.
George became a fan of Chopin after attending one of his concerts and started approaching Chopin directly, also through Liszt, Marie D’Agoult and also Chopin’s servant.
She was sending letters and books but Chopin was not interested in her and ignored her approach. But she didn’t give up and continued sending an invitation with flowers.
However, in the movie Chopin says to his servant
“ Man wants to win the woman , but not to be won . “
and he declined her invitation.
Sand looked like she became even more burning fire with her love for Chopin, after his rejection, and she said she will do anything to get his love.
And when Chopin’s health issue got worse from his disappointment by many things which happened to him, such as rejection of marriage from his fiancee’s parents. ( wish they would have shown more about this lady ) he was starting to be more interested in George Sand , and seems that his servant told Sand to come over to Chopin‘s house.(?)
George Sand visited Chopin’s place and started making home remedy soup in the kitchen.
I was interested in the soup which has herbal formula she made for Chopin. In the movie, George Sand said it was a 300 year old ancient remedy which contained about 20 herbs in the soup.
And after he ate it, he was feeling better.
Sand seemed to have many herbal recipes for many illness.
I’m wondering if maybe she saved Chopin’s life with these herbal formula ?
I want to know her herbal recipes secrets.
Sounds very interesting.
Through all of Chopin’s health condition, which was always going up and down depending on the weather, and his feelings and the effect on his psyche from the situation he was facing, it’s amazing he could survive until the age of 39, and he created so many high quality compositions within a such a short time, and with such a tough health condition.
This is really amazing.
But I feel he did everything he wanted that he had set out to do in his life , especially with his main focus, music.
A short but fulfilled life.
I have read about that every person has their own purpose to come to this world before we were born.
And while their life purpose has not achieved yet, people tend to live long enough to complete it.
And even though many people think long lives are better, Chopin achieved so much.
Chopin experienced a time period in Paris when there was a cholera epidemic, and death and gloom was all around.
And during an especially depressed state of mind, when it seemed that all of Paris was dying of cholera, Chopin was saying in the movie, “ why am I still alive and have not caught cholera, while everyone is dying around me ? “
His sister died when she was 14, and Chopin also caught the same illness ( no one seems to know for sure what illness, maybe tuberculosis ? ) , but Chopin recovered.
When I think about it, the opportunity of Chopin and George Sand’s meeting may have also been a destiny for both of their personal improvement.
Not sure that without George Sand, if Chopin could have lived until 39.
Now I would like to revisit a little bit the part about Sand giving her original soup which has a 300 year old secret herbal formula.
In the movie, it seems that Chopin started to be interested in Sand since then, and that Sand’s desire for love was achieved.
This may sound silly but the soup seemed to work like some kind of love potion as well ? lol
Although on the other hand, I’m not really sure whether Chopin really loved George Sand or not ?
Information from George Sand fans and information from Chopin fans have different facts, and it sounds to me they each have bias for their heroes, so some of the information sounds like Chopin was crazy for Sand and she was the love of his life and muse.
But I’m wondering about a very close friend that Chopin had, her name was Delfina Potocka, she was a friend of his from the time he was 20 year old , and their friendship continued until his death.
She was with him in his final days before he passed away, and she sang for him.
He dedicated to her his Waltz in D flat major, Op. 64, No. 1, the famous "Minute Waltz".
He also dedicated his incredible Piano Concerto No.2 to her.
Chopin dedicated his first set of piano studies, called Etudes, including the Revolution Etude to his friend Franz Liszt.
He later dedicated another Etude set to his other friend Charles Valentin Alkan.
But I can’t find any information about Chopin dedicating any music for George Sand.
Why ??
On the other hand, there is a George Sand portrait drawing of Chopin. I can see Sand really loved him so much.
Also whatever George Sand wrote or said about Chopin later, these actions and what she said about Chopin after their break up sounds more like she felt hurt by him, which came from feelings of lack of love to her from him.
In the movie, when her daughter Solange told Sand she loves Chopin,
Sand said to her daughter,
“ Chopin doesn’t love anyone but music. “
If that is how Sand was feeling from him, she might be feeling lack of love from him to her.
He was ill.
I suppose he was frustrated and irritated from many things because of his illness.
He could not handle anything else except taking care of himself and his health condition, and his music.
In the movie he said that he envied all healthy people.
One needs to truly consider what Chopin‘s situation and condition was.
He wanted love.
But I wonder if because of his illness, was he able to give enough love to George Sand and her children ?
His illness may have forced him to focus more on himself than he would have otherwise.
When one has serious illness, and often struggling for health, and struggling to catch their breath, how can one care any other things more than themselves ?
George Sand was giving love to Chopin like a nurturing mother, but she was in the middle between her son and Chopin. She was careless for her daughter.
About George Sand’s son Maurice,
Her son Maurice was a real pain to watch.
Her teenage son was feeling lack of love from his parents already since his parent’s breakup.
Then seeing his mother’s love affair with Chopin made him overly sensitive maybe understandable. It can be the most difficult time for kids.
Also about the scene when Sand was asking Chopin about her son’s work ( paintings ) , she asked him this question at a bad time.
Chopin was frustrated for many things at that time ( especially - the piano where they were staying didn‘t work ! ).
The more Sand was hiding her feelings towards Chopin, to her son, her son became even more upset.
I wonder was her son not interested in any other girls around him ?
George Sand was giving him love, trying to make him confident but didn’t teach him about independence and giving love, not only receiving.
Also it looked too much spoiling him, and she looked weak to him.
After 10 years past, her kids grew and her daughter started falling in love with Chopin.
Her daughter had been feeling abandoned from her mother , and started hating her.
She started trying to take everything, someone or something which belonged to her mother.
Her son was often spying on Sand and Chopin, and also spying on his sister’s actions to Chopin, and was trying to find a way to kick Chopin out of the house.
Jealousy occurs when one has no self confidence and it comes from fear.
The son wasn’t loving himself.
Eventually, when Chopin realized that Sand’s son didn’t want him living there anymore, he told Sand “ whatever your son wishes” and agreed to leave.
It was not an actual break up, but more like getting away from each other for awhile.
Now here’s a funny scene.
Chopin loved Chicken white breast, and hot chocolate.
He didn’t like Chicken legs, but mistakenly Sand gave him chicken legs on their final day together, that night at dinner, and gave the chicken breast to her son, and Chopin was hurt by the action because maybe he thought she did it on purpose (?).
So he suddenly left the dinner to his room with anger, and Sand followed him, and asked him what was wrong , Chopin didn’t tell anything in the beginning , but Sand asked him again by saying “ Say something ! “, then Chopin said while shaking “ you gave me the leg ! And your son got the breast ! “.
We thought Chopin was hilarious.
Sand apologized to him by saying she was distracted for it.
And her son came in the room and after hearing why Chopin left the dinner from Sand, he started teasing him, “ so you will break up with my mother over Chicken legs ? “
But they all soon forgot about it. No problem.
Then later Chopin said his farewell to everyone, and George promised to visit him soon.
A few weeks (?) after Chopin left the house, Sand’s daughter found a boyfriend. He was a sculptor and made Sand’s statue, and he was much older than her daughter.
Her daughter and her boyfriend asked Sand to give them 8,000 Francs for dowry for their marriage.
But Sand and Maurice didn’t accept it. Maurice told him aggressively their disapproval , then they had a big fight , and when daughter’s boy friend slapped Sand’s cheek some times, Maurice got his gun and tried to shoot him, but he missed. .
Then Sand shouted to them to get out of there, and they did.
And then from the window, Sand saw them leaving in the coach which was owned by Chopin.
Sand and Maurice thought Chopin is on their side by seeing it. (?)
( Chopin often felt sympathy for the daughter from seeing how she had been basically ignored by her mother who favored her son )
That’s one of the reasons of their breakup besides her son Maurice‘s issue ?
This whole soap opera drama between Chopin and Sand and her son, and her daughter, looked like a disaster.
I don’t know what I would I do if I was Chopin, ? If I was George Sand ?, if I was Maurice ?, If I was Solange ?
All this caused by lack of love and or feelings of lack of love, and unbalance.
Overall, we think this is a very well made movie. Beautiful photography and music and great acting.
We will surely watch it over and over.
And I will purchase Chopin’s personal letters to get to know more about him.