Plot: What’s it about?
This is a documentary and as such, there’s not a lot of storyline to discuss, but I will provide a brief description of what you’ll find here. This piece covers a month of time in 1979, when China has just opened up the doors somewhat and in a unique turn, invited master musician Isaac Stern to tour their beautiful country. Stern viewed all sorts of musical efforts in his month long visit, from normal public performances to special private ones. In addition to taking in the musical gifts the Chinese performers had to offer, Stern also went to school and such, where he met with youngsters and even popped in a few lessons. His meetings and such with the people were impressive on several levels, especially when you consider that music was often the only language they shared. But even so, the musical “dialogue” was more than enough to make connections, as evidenced by the scenes featured in >From Mao To Mozart.
I hadn’t heard much about this documentary, but since I am always open to new documentary pieces, I spun this disc as soon as it arrived. This one took home the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 1981 also, so I was prepared for an impressive piece and in truth, that is just what I was treated to. I admit I am not a big fan of musical driven documentaries, but this one was a very good one and never had trouble holding my interest. I was very taken in by the looks into how government has effected music in China, as well as the hopeful message delivered by this piece. The presence of Stern is terrific and he seems to have a real bond at times with the other folks, which pushes the film’s impact a lot. This disc not only offers From Mao To Mozart, but also a couple other short musical documentaries, including one that documents Stern’s return to China after twenty years. In the end, this is a terrific documentary and with such a rich presentation here, I give this disc a high recommendation to those interested.
Video: How does it look?
From Mao To Mozart is presented in a full frame transfer, which is how the film was intended to be shown. Given the age and documentary nature of this piece, I think the image is good, but some flaws are present in the end. At times, the visuals look dated and rough, from slightly muted colors to imperfections with the source print. But the image looks solid, without too much fading present in the colors, well balanced contrast, and a cleaner than I expected print. I do think this looks more worn than it should, but this is still a decent presentation and I doubt many will be let down.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc uses a stereo mix, which is more than adequate, given the documentary nature of this piece. Of course, the music sounds a little limited at times, but while that is the main factor here, this feature focuses on the events a lot as well. So in the end, the music is a little held back, but it all works well enough within the context of this documentary, so all is well. The dialogue sounds clean and clear at all times also, with no hints of volume problems in the least. So this might not be as dynamic as I would like at times, but the basics are more than covered and that is what counts here, I think.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains a talent file on Isaac Stern, as well as two bonus documentary short films. The first is called Musical Encounters, which documents Stern’s return to China twenty after his visit followed in the feature film. This is a nice piece also, which makes for a good companion documentary to From Mao To Mozart. The second bonus film is titled The Gentleman From Shanghai, which tells the story of a man who was beaten and persecuted, all because he wanted to teach Western music. Another solid piece and a welcome inclusion here, which adds even more value to this disc.
