History Film / TheRedViolin

* GrailInTheGarbage: Happens to the red violin quite frequently. One might consider giving a violin of such quality away to a monastery to train young monks to be "throwing it out," if not, then certainly burying it in a grave will do. Frederick Pope certainly thought so when he found Romani on his lands playing it. The violin later ends up in a dinky English goods shop in Shanghai for several decades.

* HypocriticalHumor: Mr. Ruselky, a violin expert testing out the most promising finds, plays the red violin itself, and declares that it's "nothing special." The day that the news story breaks that the violin is actually ''the'' red violin, he at once snaps that he knew it ''at once'', how could he not know, and that violin should be his!

* ArtifactOfAttraction: The Red Violin.

* NotSoDifferent: Morritz and Busotti, although they never meet and are not antagonistic to each other, are shown as being very alike: passionate about music and violins, fastidious, prone to be jerks people who work for them, and both have troubled home lives (Busotti worried about his wife having a child late in life; Morritz's work taking him far away from his family, which strains them).

* NiceToTheWaiter: Morritz and Rudolfi... ''are not.''
* NotSoDifferent: Morritz and Rudolfi, although they never meet and are not antagonistic to each other, are shown as being very alike: passionate about music and violins, fastidious, prone to be jerks people who work for them, and both have troubled home lives (Rudolfi worried about his wife having a child late in life; Morritz's work taking him far away from his family, which strains them).

* TechnicianVersusPerformer: As mentioned above, M. Poussin is a bona fide Technician, and trains Kaspar this way, saying that the metronome is the master of music, while Frederick Pope is a passionate Performer who seems immune to criticism, direction, or even schedules. Notably, Rudolfi, the violin's maker, falls somewhere in between: he is fastidious and precise in his craftsmanship, but his love and passion for music and his wife drives him.

* [[spoiler:DeathByChildbirth: Anna Rudolfi, the wife of the violin maker, after her fortune is told.]]

* [[spoiler: MeaninglessVillainVictory: Mr. Ruselky ends up winning the red violin at auction -- but what he doesn't know is, that violin he won is a fake. And even if he figures it out, his pride will never let him admit he was so duped.]]

* [[spoiler:TogetherInDeath: Kaspar is buried with the red violin; this is a trope soon undone by GraveRobbing.]]

* [[spoiler: TheBadGuyWins: All the auction candidates who want to buy the violin for sentimental or respectful reasons are outbid, and it ends up going to the pompous Mr. Ruselky, who only wants it to boast about it. Or... does it? ]]

* [[spoiler: TheBadGuyWins: All the auction candidates who want to buy the violin for sentimental or respectful reasons are outbid, and it ends up going to the pompous Mr. Ruselky, who only wants it to boast about it. [[OrIsIt Or does he win?]] ]]

* [[spoiler:DeathByChildbirth: Anna Rudolfi, the wife of the violin maker after her fortune is told.]]

** Monsieur Poussin in Vienna eagerly embraces the ideals of science, progress, and reason. The audition piece he sets for Kaspar is not emotional or passionate: it is one complicated chord played faster and faster, to prove the boy's technical skill. As a result, Poussin considers Kaspar's love for his violin to be a foolish superstition, and doesn't realize how much it means to the boy.
** although eventually he does understand how much it means and lets the boy carry on sleeping with the violin.

''The Red Violin'' is a historical fiction film following the people that have played an elusive, expertly crafted red violin. The film starts with the luthier in Italy, a fastidious master who crafts a perfect instrument for his unborn son, and follows with the instrument's journey throughout Europe, Asia, and finally the New World over four centuries as it haunts its many owners with beautiful music and constant misfortune. The climax of the film is an auction house in Montreal, where the violin, now recognized as a priceless treasure, is up for the highest bidder.

''The Red Violin'' was produced by companies from Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom. It was released by Lionsgate in 1998.

** Monsieur Poussin in Vienna eagerly embraces the ideals of science, progress, and reason. The audition piece he sets for Kaspar is not emotional or passionate: it is one complicated chord played faster and faster, to prove the boy's technical skill. As a result, Poussin considers Kaspar's love for his violin to be a foolish superstition, and doesn't realize how much it means to the boy
** although eventualy he does understand how much it means and lets the boy carry on sleeping with the violin

* ActorAllusion: Violinist Joshua Bell, who is world-renowned and played the violin parts on the soundtrack (and thus, most of the characters who play the titular violin were "played" by him), has a cameo as a violinist in the orchestra during Pope's recital. [[spoiler:He never actually gets to play the violin in his scene.]]

* ChildProdigy: Kasper Weiss is a violin prodigy.

** Especially Kasper Weiss, who has to sleep with it. When it is taken away, his heart acts up.

* DeathByChildbirth: Anna Rudolfi, the wife of the violin maker after her fortune is told.
* DrivenToSuicide: Fredrick Pope, after Victoria leaves him and shoots at his [[spoiler:violin]].
* GraveRobbing: [[{{Gypsy}} Gypsies]] unearth the violin after it's buried with Kasper and take it to England.
* HeartwarmingOrphan: Kasper Weiss.

* [[PoweredByAForsakenChild Powered By A Forsaken Child... or Mother]]: The Red Violin. From when Cesca begins to read Anna's cards, it's unclear whether the future she reads is for Anna or her unborn son -- and then, if the violin should be seen as carrying Anna's spirit or his.

** M. Poussin of Vienna eagerly embraces the ideals of science, progress, and reason. The audition piece he sets for Kaspar is not emotional or passionate: it is one complicated chord played faster and faster, to prove Kaspar's technical skill. As a result, M. Poussin considers Kaspar's love for his violin to be a foolish superstition, and doesn't realize how much it means to the boy.

* SmokingHotSex: Victoria indulges, after a nice "inspiration" session with Frederic.

* TogetherInDeath: Kasper is buried with the red violin; this is a trope soon undone by GraveRobbing.

''The Red Violin'' is a historical fiction film following the people that have played an elusive, expertly crafted red violin. The film starts with the creator of the violin in Italy, a fastidious master who crafts a perfect instrument for his unborn son. However, tragedy strikes, and the violin-maker puts away his tools and hangs up the red-varnished violin, his last creation. However, the violin's story has only just begun. Throughout Europe, then Asia, and finally the New World, ''The Red Violin'' proceeds chronologically through four centuries as the instrument travels the world and haunts its many owners with beautiful music and constant misfortune. The climax of the film is an auction house in Montreal, where the violin, now recognized as a priceless historical treasure, is up for the highest bidder.

''The Red Violin'' was made by three production companies from Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom. It was released by Lionsgate in 1998.

** M. Poussin of Vienna eagerly embraces the ideals of science, progress, and reason. He insists on speaking to Kaspar in French, the language of music and learning, and invents his own little metronome to teach Kaspar. The audition piece he sets for Kaspar is not emotional or passionate: it is one complicated chord played faster and faster, to prove Kaspar's technical skill. As a result, M. Poussin considers Kaspar's love for his violin to be a foolish superstition, and doesn't realize how much it means to the boy.

** M. Poussin of Vienna eagerly embraces the ideals of science, progress, and reason. He insists on speaking to Kaspar in French, the language of music and learning, and invents his own little metronome to teach Kaspar. The audition piece he sets for Kaspar is not emotional or passionate: it is one complicated chord played faster and faster, to prove Kaspar's technical skill.

* TheMuse: Victoria to Fredrick.

* ViolinScam: [[spoiler:Accomplished by Morritz at the end of the film so that he can keep his once-in-a-lifetime relic, and ensure it's passed to someone who will truly treasure it.]]

* TitleDrop: All over the place, but especially in around the auction.

* TheHedonist: Fredrick Pope. His house is furnished with the most luxurious trappings, his sexual tastes are... unusual, shall we say, and as time goes on, he develops an addiction to opium.

* [[PoweredByAForsakenChild Powered by a Forsaken Mother]]: The Red Violin.

* TogetherInDeath: Kasper is buried with the red violin, this is trope soon accompanied by GraveRobbing.

* TheHedonist: Fredrick Pope.

''The Red Violin'' is a historical fiction film following the people that have played an elusive, expertly crafted red violin. The film starts with the creator of the violin in Italy and then proceeds chronologically through four centuries as the violin travels the world and haunts its many owners with beautiful music and constant misfortune.

* {{Auction}}: The setup for the modern-day portion of the story.

* RedChina: The fourth portion of the story takes place during the CulturalRevolution when western instruments are outlawed.

* TarotTroubles: Anna's reading is not filled with good omens.

* ViolinScam: [[spoiler:Accomplished by Morritz at the end of the film so that he can keep his once-in-a-lifetime relic.]]

* ActorAllusions: Violinist Joshua Bell, who is world-renowned and played the violin parts on the soundtrack (and thus, most of the characters who play the titular violin were "played" by him), is a violinist in the orchestra during Pope's recital. [[spoiler:He never actually gets to play the violin in his scene.]]

* {{Casanova}}: Fredrick Pope.