Copying Beethoven
Vienna, 1824. In the days before the first performance of the Ninth Symphony, Beethoven needs help with copying out the charts, so a promising student of composition, Anna Holtz, 23, is sent to assist him. She not only aids the transcription of the notes, she provides guidance from the orchestra pit as Beethoven conducts the work's debut. During the next two years, the final ones of Beethoven's life, Anna provides assistance to the deaf, temperamental, ailing man. In return, he tutors her in composition and explains to her the ideas and principles of Romanticism. He tries to speak for God.
The film disappointed at the box office against its modest budget of $11.0M, earning $6.2M globally (-44% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its innovative storytelling within the biography genre.
2 wins & 5 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Copying Beethoven (2006) demonstrates strategically placed narrative design, characteristic of Agnieszka Holland's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 10-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 44 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.3, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Anna Holtz, a young music copyist student at the Vienna Conservatory, works diligently in her ordinary world of academic study and apprenticeship, showing her dedication to music but also her sheltered, conventional position as a woman in 1824 Vienna.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Anna's mentor receives an urgent summons: Beethoven has fired yet another copyist and desperately needs someone to prepare the score for the Ninth Symphony premiere. Anna is reluctantly recommended as a replacement despite being young, female, and inexperienced with such volatile genius.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The Collapse moment at 78 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Beethoven's health critically deteriorates, or a devastating confrontation occurs where he cruelly dismisses Anna, destroying their bond. The "whiff of death" as either Beethoven faces mortality or Anna's dream of meaningful artistic partnership dies. Everything she sacrificed appears to have been for nothing., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 84 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The finale: Anna returns to Beethoven, completing their work together with new mutual respect. Final musical performance or completion of his late works. Resolution of her romantic subplot and professional future. She demonstrates her transformation by asserting her own artistic judgment while honoring Beethoven's genius., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Copying Beethoven's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 10 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Copying Beethoven against these established plot points, we can identify how Agnieszka Holland utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Copying Beethoven within the biography genre.
Agnieszka Holland's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Agnieszka Holland films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Copying Beethoven takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Agnieszka Holland filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional biography films include Lords of Dogtown, Ip Man 2 and A Complete Unknown. For more Agnieszka Holland analyses, see Europa Europa, The Secret Garden and In Darkness.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Anna Holtz, a young music copyist student at the Vienna Conservatory, works diligently in her ordinary world of academic study and apprenticeship, showing her dedication to music but also her sheltered, conventional position as a woman in 1824 Vienna.
Theme
Anna's mentor or colleague remarks that "true genius cannot be copied, only witnessed," foreshadowing the film's exploration of artistic creation, the relationship between genius and craft, and what it means to truly understand greatness.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of 1824 Vienna, the male-dominated music world, Anna's skills as a copyist, her position at the Conservatory, and the looming premiere of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Introduction of the chaotic, demanding world of music publishing and performance preparation.
Disruption
Anna's mentor receives an urgent summons: Beethoven has fired yet another copyist and desperately needs someone to prepare the score for the Ninth Symphony premiere. Anna is reluctantly recommended as a replacement despite being young, female, and inexperienced with such volatile genius.
Resistance
Anna debates whether to accept this dangerous opportunity. She faces resistance from colleagues who warn her about Beethoven's impossible temperament, the risk to her reputation, and the enormity of the task. She prepares herself mentally while learning about Beethoven's deafness and legendary difficulties.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The "fun and games" of Anna navigating Beethoven's world: learning to communicate with the deaf composer, deciphering his chaotic manuscripts, enduring his insults and mood swings, while gradually earning his respect. The preparation and rehearsal of the Ninth Symphony, revealing both the beauty of the music and the difficulty of working with genius.
Opposition
Post-premiere complications intensify. Beethoven becomes more demanding and erratic as he works on new compositions. Anna faces opposition from society, her fiancé, and the Conservatory about her unconventional relationship with Beethoven. The emotional and professional costs of serving genius mount, and Anna's own life and desires are increasingly sacrificed.
Collapse
Beethoven's health critically deteriorates, or a devastating confrontation occurs where he cruelly dismisses Anna, destroying their bond. The "whiff of death" as either Beethoven faces mortality or Anna's dream of meaningful artistic partnership dies. Everything she sacrificed appears to have been for nothing.
Crisis
Anna processes the devastation in her dark night. She questions whether genius justifies cruelty, whether her contributions mattered, and what she has become through this experience. She contemplates abandoning music or Beethoven entirely, wrestling with despair and disillusionment.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The finale: Anna returns to Beethoven, completing their work together with new mutual respect. Final musical performance or completion of his late works. Resolution of her romantic subplot and professional future. She demonstrates her transformation by asserting her own artistic judgment while honoring Beethoven's genius.