Fantastic movie

Honestly, I don't understand any of the negativity towards this film...at all. It is an almost perfectly structured film that tells the fascinating tale of a violin's journey through the ages while simultaneously depicting life in the various eras. It is not preachy, it is not formulaic, it is not manipulative, and it's certainly not boring. It is an almost perfect film (yes Morgan Freeman would have been better than Samuel L. Jackson, but Jackson's performance is very good).

I think most every critic missed the boat on this one royally. Even Ebert's 3.5 stars is low in my opinion.

I revisit this movie every few years and never tire of it because it's so interesting, and so well made.