IFF: Il Boemo

Synopsis

Centring on two eventful decades in the composer Myslivecek’s time in Italy, IL BOEMO depicts the earnest efforts of a gifted artist to actualise himself despite compromises and creeping poverty. That Mysliveček’s life coincided with the epochal appearance of Mozart gives his story a tragic dimension. With wisdom and tenderness, IL BOEMO evokes how history passed by Mysliveček even as he was trying to find a place in it.

The film’s Italian milieu couldn’t be more vividly illustrated, fusing rich historical locations with grandiose design work. The costume design, meanwhile, does more than just throw embellished splendour at the screen, instead thoughtfully recycling items to remind viewers how Mysliveček, even at his peak, was never too far from seamy ruin: In particular, one gorgeous frockcoat in turquoise velvet follows him through the years, a dandy’s aspirational uniform at one point, a literal marker of faded glory later on.