The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach
Jean-Marie StraubCast
Gustav Leonhardt Christiane Lang
Plot
The film presents the life of Johann Sebastian Bach, as told by his second wife, Anna Magdalena, through her voice, a few documents, and the performance of Bach's music by the musicians, filmed in period costume and in real locations. Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet's 1968 first feature is austere and unembellished, and is notable for the music being played live on film.
Sinekatalog’s take
Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet's austere film presents Bach's life through his wife's voice, documents and full performances in period dress. Rigorous and static, it is a demanding, reverent and beautiful film of music.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Ratings
IMDb: 6.8 / 10 (1,752 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.
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