Eroica (2003 film)

Eroica is a 2003 Austrian-British made-for-television biographical drama film directed by Simon Cellan Jones. It tells the story of the private performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's Third Symphony, also known as the Eroica Symphony, at Lobkowitz Palace in Vienna in 1804.

The film focuses not just on Beethoven, played by Ian Hart, but also on the reactions of the invited audience, particularly Prince Joseph Franz Maximilian Lobkowitz (Jack Davenport) and his household. It explores themes of patronage, artistic integrity, the complex relationship between artist and audience, and the burgeoning Romantic movement in music. The film contrasts the established, formal classical style of music with Beethoven's revolutionary approach.

The narrative interweaves the performance of the symphony with flashbacks revealing Beethoven's deafness, his struggles with personal relationships, and his evolving political beliefs. The film aims to portray the emotional and intellectual impact of Beethoven's groundbreaking work on those who first heard it. The cast also includes Claire Skinner as the Princess, and Frank Finlay. The film's score, of course, heavily features the Eroica Symphony itself.