This captivating film revolves around a remarkable red violin crafted in 1681 by the esteemed Cremonese violinmaker, Nicolo Bussotti, in anticipation of his child's arrival. The story unfolds through a series of episodes intricately tied together by the fortune-telling of a servant woman named Cesca, who reads tarot cards meant for Nicolo's expectant wife, Anna. Surprisingly, the cards do not forecast Anna's destiny but rather the violin's tumultuous journey.
As the narrative progresses, we learn that this violin will become Nicolo's final masterpiece—a beautifully intricate instrument possessing unparalleled resonance across all its sound characteristics. Tragically, after the death of his beloved Anna during childbirth, Nicolo finishes the violin, using secret ingredients that impart its striking red hue.
A pivotal moment in the film is the auction of the Red Violin at the Duval auction house in Canada. From there, we follow the violin's fascinating history as it changes hands repeatedly. Initially, it finds itself in an Austrian monastery, where it is played by young talents, including a gifted six-year-old named Kaspar Weiss, who receives guidance from his mentor, Georges Poussin. Unfortunately, Kaspar's promising life is cut short during an audition for Prince Mansfeld.
The violin, which lies with Kaspar in the grave, is eventually unearthed and comes into the possession of various gypsy owners. One group of gypsies brings it to the English countryside, where the renowned violinist, Lord Frederick Pope, becomes enchanted by the instrument. His infatuation with the violin leads to tragic events—a love triangle that ends with Lord Pope's lover discovering him in bed with the violin and another woman, resulting in her shooting the instrument. Devastated, Lord Pope subsequently takes his own life.
The violin then embarks on a new chapter, transported to China by Pope's former servant, who pawns it with a Shanghai merchant focused solely on the gemstone embedded in the violin's scroll. By 1937, it resides with a bourgeois Chinese family, managing to withstand the onslaught of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which deemed Western music unacceptable. Following the collector's death, the anonymous violin becomes part of an odd collection of stringed instruments, including a genuine Stradivarius, all "inherited" by the Chinese government.
At the Canadian auction, descendants of the violin's former owners reunite, vying for its ownership, alongside Charles Morritz (played by Samuel L. Jackson), a violin expert tasked with verifying the Stradivarius for customs evaluation. Morritz instinctively senses the truth about the mysterious red instrument nestled among the auction consignment from China. As the film unfolds, viewers witness a series of determined buyers arrive, each with their own aspirations regarding the coveted red violin, weaving a rich tapestry of music, fate, and longing.
