Alma Mahler: Sarah Wynter	Gustav Mahler: Jonathan Pryce
Walter Gropius: Simon Verhoeven	Franz Werfel: Gregor Seberg
Oskar Kokoschka: Vincent Perez	Director: Bruce Beresford

30 Second Bottom Line: At the turn of the 20th century a talented woman composer knows how to play her cards with the men she "loves." This ensures that she lives the good life. Based on the true story of Alma and Gustav Mahler.

Story Line: Alma (Sarah Wynter) is a gifted composer and a socialite at the turn of the 20th century, who falls in love with Gustav Mahler (Jonathan Pryce), a famous composer and conductor. As they prepare to make their home together in Vienna, Gustav has one request of Alma, and her answer says everything about her personality. He wants Alma to make her music, his music; that is, she is to stop composing so as not to present competition to his career or his ego. Her mother tells her, "You can find another lover, but nothing will replace your music." In the next scene Alma has two children, so we know what her priorities are. Gustav is able to give her a luxurious home, fame and money. This is more important than love.

After a tragic loss, Alma goes to a retreat and has an unplanned affair with the young architect, Walter Gropius (Simon Verhoeven). Gustav finds out about it and although extremely disappointed, he tells her that while she is free to go, he hopes she will stay. Alma is frustrated with him because he forgets their anniversary and her birthday, and treats her more as an assistant, accountant and servant, rather than a loving wife. She explains to Gustav that he drove her to Walter because her spirit was crushed and she now "hates his Jewish music."

As expected, Alma stays with Gustav, but just when you think you can see where this film is going, we are reminded that life is stranger than fiction.

Alma later has other lovers, including famed painter, Oskar Kokoschka (Vincent Perez). She does have a brief marriage to Walter, and she eventually marries writer Franz Werfel (Gregor Seberg).

For all her passion, Alma is a cold blooded lover, as evidenced by a comment she makes at one point regarding Oskar's mother, who has brought a gun to kill her, "I've never been popular with mothers."

When Oskar goes off to war and is shot and bayoneted, he has one of those white light death experiences in which we enter his mind to journey with him as he revisits the moments he treasures most in his life. It makes you wonder how you might feel if you believed that your time as a mortal could be measured in seconds that contained no more than two digits.

Alma Mahler does enjoy success as a composer. In Bride of the Wind she is portrayed as a passionate woman who lives her life with a certain abandon.

Tell Me More About It: Alma Mahler seems to be a woman who could not possibly be a real person but she is, as are the other characters in the film. If anything, the film shows that women with money, power and access can break the social rules of society and sleep around if they choose, get an safe abortion and in general, do as they please...just like a man.

This story is about gifted artists and the film is very artistic. Many of the scenes in the movie could be magnificent paintings. A sense of time and place is well established.

If there is any doubt about parents' influencing their children, just consider how Alma ran through men and the fact that her daughter, Anna, became a sculptor and was married five times. There may be another movie in this story if we ever learn about Anna's children!

In The House of Mirth, Lily Bart, was aware of the rules of high society, but did not know how to use the information so that she could become a long-term survivor. One thing for sure, Alma knows the rules of the game and how to play them. Before she died, she wrote two autobiographies and published 16 compositions. She was indeed, passionate, charming and exciting. Alma was amoral in a way that many could see as ethical…she was true to herself.

Sarah Wynter: Lost Souls	Jonathan Pryce: Very Annie Mary
Vincent Perez: I Dreamed of Africa	Bruce Beresford: Last Dance
Simon Verhoeven: Mutters Courage	Gregor Seberg: Briefbomber, Der-TV