Madame Sousatzka (1988) on Netflix
Madame Sousatzka, a Russian-American piano teacher in London, takes on Manek Sen, a teenage Bengali immigrant with musical talent. His mother Sushila and his teacher compete for his attention.
- Netflix3.6/5
- IMDb6.6/101,782 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes78%
Trailer
Plot summary
In London, Sushila Sen supports herself and her teenage son Manek by catering Indian food. Manek is musically gifted. He studies piano with Madame Sousatzka, a Russian-American immigrant who is highly talented but never succeeded as a pianist. She lives through her students, especially a talented one like Manek, and takes him on as a prize protégé. The two form a close bond, yet he learns that she expects discipline in every part of his life, not only at the keyboard. As he tries to meet her demands, his mother also seeks his attention, and the two women compete for it.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Madame Sousatzka (1988)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The character of Madame Sousatzka was inspired by Maria Levinskaya, a Russian pianist and teacher who died in 1960; the plot drew on her star pupil Harold Rubens, a child prodigy who began lessons with her at the age of seven in 1925.
- Vanessa Redgrave was originally scheduled to be the lead in Madame Sousatzka before Shirley MacLaine joined the production and took the part.
- Literary agent Robin Dalton took 18 years to get Madame Sousatzka made, an unusually long effort to bring the film to the screen.
