David Mercier

Factual error: When the so called "Immortal Beloved" visits Beethoven's grave at the end of the film, it is an 8 foot obelisk, but the original grave was about 2 feet tall, and on the other side of Vienna, in a different cemetery. Beethoven was exhumed in the 1880's and moved to his current location with the 8 foot obelisk, along with Schubert. The woman is visiting a grave which was built 30 years after she died.

David Mercier

Factual error: If you look closely at the stage during the premiere of the 9th symphony, you can see there are no timpani, no brass, very few woodwind, and around 20 strings. Not only would it be impossible to perform the 9th with no timpani and brass, but it is well documented that the contingent of strings at that premiere was at least 56, triple the normal number used and the number shown.

David Mercier

Factual error: After the Countess escorts Beethoven from the stage after Piano Concerto No.5, she says something like, "That is how the world heard of Beethoven's deafness." First of all this was still fairly early in his hearing loss (around 1806), and the effect wasn't as severe as shown in the film. Secondly, he was actually very public with his hearing problems when they did arise (he gave his last piano performance in 1814), often shouting in conversations and using ear horns.

David Mercier

Revealing mistake: When the little girl runs towards her grandmother and knocks another old woman out of the way, the other woman crashes into the wall of the terminal and it wobbles, showing it's a thin set wall. (00:14:35)

David Mercier

Revealing mistake: When Ted jumps over the wall of the Mental Home and lands on the grass, it moves under him and it's even a distinctly different colour from the rest of the grass, indicating it's a crash mat.

David Mercier

Factual error: Despite all the wonderful period instruments, particularly pianos, in this film, the sound coming out of them is that of a modern grand piano, which sounds nothing like the lighter instruments of the time.

David Mercier

Factual error: Rose mentions Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud's ideas on the male preoccupation with size to Bruce. However this is 1912, and Freud did not publish the work relating to this until 1920 in "Beyond The Pleasure Principle." Also, up until 1919, Freud relied solely on data from women. (00:33:40)

David Mercier

Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie, when Imhotep is hanging off the ledge, if you look at his arm and his hand, there isn't any pressure being put on them, almost like he's just standing behind it, with his arms resting on the ledge. (01:52:20)

David Mercier

Factual error: What on earth is the conductor at the premiere of the 9th doing with a baton? This was not used until around 1849, and the premiere of the 9th is in 1824.

David Mercier