God's Fiddler: Jascha Heifetz

Jascha Heifetz in "God's Fiddler: Jascha Heifetz" A Peter Rosen Prods.,WDR, Arte, Euroarts Music Intl. presentation of the Peter Rosen production. Created by Rosen. Executive producers, Carol Colburn Hogel, Lothar Mattner, Bernd Hellthaler. Co-producer, Sara Lukinson. Directed by Peter Rosen. Compiled by Sara Lukinson.With: Jascha Heifetz, Itzhak Perlman, Ayke Agus, Seymour Lipkin, Ivry Gitlis, Ida Haendel, John Maltese, Bill Van Horn. (British, Russian dialogue)Peter Rosen's uninspired docu on master violinist Jascha Heifetz jogs along fairly quickly in working with the gifted prodigy's early years: his first public performance at 5 in Vilna, his formative childhood in the Conservatory in St. Petersburg, his much-heralded Carnegie Hall bow at 17. But when Heifetz turns into a household title, Rosen struggles mightily to milk drama not from his musical genius, but from his relatively unremarkable personal existence. The only docu on among the finest violinists ever, "God's Fiddler" ought to be guaranteed a TV pursue its November. 11 limited release. Heifetz's fame insured ample archival material at each stage of his career, from curly-headed tot to cosmopolitan guy-about-town. He seemed to be, in the own words, "a camera fiend," and homemovies abound footage of him twirling a topi in India or holding outside benefits in earthquake-devastated Japan alternates with lengthy excerpts of virtuoso performances nearer to home. Music artists worldwide pay homage to his immense talent: Itzhak Perlman, an essential presence throughout, describes Heifetz in concert as "a cyclone waiting in the same location and spinning around." Among the docu's most surprising segments demonstrates that Heifetz wasn't always a musical machine: After moving from NY to Beverly Hillsides, he engaged in most types of sports and completely partook from the epicurean pleasures his intensive training refused him. The receipt of his first negative review, however, cautioned of encroaching complacency and rapidly came back him to dedication and austerity, making them a dull boy but an incomparable fiddler. For any documentary in regards to a music performer, "God's Fiddler" appears strangely enough uninformative about Heifetz's music, apart from fortunately lengthy passages of his performances and general praise of his mastery. Heifetz is declared the very first modern violin virtuoso, but nowhere is his modernity described. Rather, stylistic debates over emotion versus. technique inexorably use questions of personality (Heifetz, whose face demonstrated little emotion, was sometimes belittled for "coldness," his remarkable technical perfection considered "mechanical"). Rosen only briefly mentions muscle damage that eventually avoided Heifetz from raising his arms (he performed anyway), but includes endless testimony how his reserve could from time to time use warmth at parties. The docu's final, overlong section latches onto Heifetz's making it through accompanist, secretary and ex-students, who offer endless anecdotes about his teaching techniques and recount each detail of his everyday activities. Only belatedly does Rosen reference Heifetz's two ex-spouses and various estranged children as evidence of the maestro's tragic sacrifices to his muse.Camera (color/B&W, HD), Rosen, Craig Markowitz, editors, Joshua Waletzky, Rosen. Examined on DVD, NY, November. 5, 2011. (In Doc New york city -- Symbols.) Running time: 87 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com