History Film / Farinelli

It is a (heavily fictionalized) biopic about the life of Carlo Broschi (Stefano Dionisi), stage name "Farinelli", a famous BaroqueMusic era (18th century) UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian ''castrato'' (male singer who was castrated as a child so he would retain a high pitched voice, which is impossible after puberty). The film opens with Carlo at the court of King UsefulNotes/PhilipV of Spain. His older brother Riccardo Broschi (Enrico Lo Verso), a composer who is now estranged from his younger brother, tries to approach him, but Carlo blows Riccardo off.

** While Farinelli was a member of the Opera of the Nobility, the rival opera company to Handel's Royal Academy of Music, they never had a personal rivalry as depicted in the film. If anything, the portrayal of the relationship between the two resembles that of another RealLife castrato, Senesino, who was in Handel's service as an opera singer in London before the two fell out and become antagonistic to each other.

The bulk of the film then plays out in an extended flashback. Carlo and Riccardo are a dual act, with Carlo singing Riccardo's compositions. Music/GeorgeFredericHandel (played by Creator/JeroenKrabbe) tries to recruit Carlo to work for him, but when Handel refuses to hire Riccardo as well, and insults the brothers, Carlo spits in his face.

It is a (heavily fictionalized) biopic about the life of Carlo Broschi (Stefano Dionisi), stage name "Farinelli", a famous BaroqueMusic era (18th century) UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian ''castrato'' (male singer who was castrated as a child so he would retain a high pitched voice, which is impossible after puberty). The film opens with Carlo at the court of King Phillip V of Spain. His older brother Riccardo Broschi (Enrico Lo Verso), a composer who is now estranged from his younger brother, tries to approach him, but Carlo blows Riccardo off.

It is a (heavily fictionalized) biopic about the life of Carlo Broschi, stage name "Farinelli", a famous BaroqueMusic era (18th century) UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian ''castrato'' (male singer who was castrated as a child so he would retain a high pitched voice, which is impossible after puberty). The film opens with Carlo at the court of King Phillip V of Spain. His older brother Riccardo Broschi, a composer who is now estranged from his younger brother, tries to approach him, but Carlo blows Riccardo off.

Carlo rises to great fame, with Riccardo basically as a hanger-on. The brothers come to UsefulNotes/{{London}}, where a beautiful woman named Alexandra falls in love with Carlo. On his behalf, she steals a composition of Handel's for Carlo to sing. This leads to a confrontation in which Carlo finds out just how he came to be castrated.

It is a (heavily fictionalized) biopic about the life of Carlo Broschi, stage name "Farinelli", a famous BaroqueMusic era (18th century) UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian ''castrato'' (male singer who was castrated as a child so he would retain a child/woman-like soprano voice, which is impossible after puberty). The film opens with Carlo at the court of King Phillip V of Spain. His older brother Riccardo Broschi, a composer who is now estranged from his younger brother, tries to approach him, but Carlo blows Riccardo off.

The bulk of the film then plays out in an extended flashback. Carlo and Riccardo are a dual act, with Carlo singing Riccardo's compositions. Music/GeorgeFredericHandel (played by Creator/JeroenKrabbe) tries to recruit Carlo to work for him, but when Händel refuses to hire Riccardo as well, and insults the brothers, Carlo spits in his face.

Carlo rises to great fame, with Riccardo basically as a hanger-on. The brothers come to {{UsefulNotes/London}}, where a beautiful woman named Alexandra falls in love with Carlo. On his behalf, she steals a composition of Handel's for Carlo to sing. This leads to a confrontation in which Carlo finds out just how he came to be castrated.

* VocalDissonance: The whole reason castrati are created. Carlo, a grown man, sings in an unnaturally high voice because he never experienced puberty. (The actor obviously could not sing that high; his singing voice was created by mixing and dubbing a female soprano and a male countertenor).

It is a (heavily fictionalized) biopic about the life of Carlo Broschi, stage name "Farinelli", a famous 18th-century UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian ''castrato'' (male singer who was castrated as a child so he would retain a child/woman-like soprano voice, which is impossible after puberty) in the BaroqueMusic era. The film opens with Carlo at the court of King Phillip V of Spain. His older brother Riccardo Broschi, a composer who is now estranged from his younger brother, tries to approach him, but Carlo blows Riccardo off.

It is a (heavily fictionalized) biopic about the life of Carlo Broschi, stage name "Farinelli", a famous 18th-century UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian ''castrato'' (male singer who was castrated as a child so he would retain a child/woman-like soprano voice, which is impossible after puberty). The film opens with Carlo at the court of King Phillip V of Spain. His older brother Riccardo Broschi, a composer who is now estranged from his younger brother, tries to approach him, but Carlo blows Riccardo off.

It is a (heavily fictionalized) biopic of the life of Carlo Broschi, stage name "Farinelli", a famous 18th-century UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian ''castrato'' (male singer who was castrated as a child so he would retain a child/woman-like soprano voice, which is impossible after puberty). The film opens with Carlo at the court of King Phillip V of Spain. His older brother Riccardo Broschi, a composer who is now estranged from his younger brother, tries to approach him, but Carlo blows Riccardo off.

It is a (heavily fictionalized) biopic of the life of Carlo Broschi, stage name "Farinelli", a famous 18th-century UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian ''castrato'' (singer who was castrated as a child so he would retain a child/woman-like soprano voice, which is impossible after puberty). The film opens with Carlo at the court of King Phillip V of Spain. His older brother Riccardo Broschi, a composer who is now estranged from his younger brother, tries to approach him, but Carlo blows Riccardo off.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6d7f4dc6_110e_43da_8648_7e912aec52f4.jpeg]]

''Farinelli'', aka ''Farinelli: Il Castrato'' is a 1994 film from Belgium directed by Gerard Corbiau.

It is a (heavily fictionalized) biopic of the life of Carlo Broschi, stage name "Farinelli", a famous 18th-century castrato. The film opens with Carlo at the court of King Phillip V of Spain. His older brother Riccardo Broschi, a composer who is now estranged from his younger brother, tries to approach him, but Carlo blows Riccardo off.

The bulk of the film then plays out in an extended flashback. Carlo and Riccardo are a dual act, with Carlo singing Riccardo's compositions. Music/GeorgeFredericHandel (played by Creator/JeroenKrabbe) tries to recruit Carlo to work for him, but when Handel refuses to hire Riccardo as well, and insults the brothers, Carlo spits in his face.

* WalkingTheEarth: The film ends with Riccardo leaving music behind and searching "distant lands" for similar sensations.

Carlo rises to great fame, with Riccardo basically as a hanger-on. The brothers come to London, where a beautiful woman named Alexandra falls in love with Carlo. On his behalf, she steals a composition of Handel's for Carlo to sing. This leads to a confrontation in which Carlo finds out just how he came to be castrated.

** Farinelli and Handel never met; if anything, the depiction of the two as rivals resembles that of Senesino, a castrato in Handel's service who did in fact fall out and become antagonistic to the composer.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: There was no eclipse in Spain at any time between 1721 and 1740.
* AttractiveBentGender: Carlo the androgynous, castrated beauty is very attractive to the ladies. He routinely takes them to bed, only for his brother to finish off the sex act.

* VocalDissonance: The whole reason castrati are created. Carlo, a grown man, sings in an unnaturally high voice because he never experienced puberty. (The actor obviously could not sing that high; his singing voice was created by mixing and dubbing a female soprano and a male countertenor).

* ImpossiblyLongNote: Riccardo composes a piece that requires Carlo to hold a note for a full minute. When he does, women in the audience swoon.

* VocalDissonance: The whole reason castrati are created. Carlo, a grown man, sings in an unnaturally high voice. (The actor obviously could not sing that high; his singing voice was created by mixing and dubbing a female soprano and a male countertenor).