Buy The Tales of Hoffmann

The Tales of Hoffmann

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Skinopsis

In Jacques Offenbach's fantasy opera, the poet E. T. A. Hoffmann dreams of three women: a mechanical performing doll, a bejeweled siren who steals his reflection, and the consumptive daughter of a famous composer—all of whom break his heart in different ways. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger create a phantasmagoric marriage of cinema and opera in their one-of-a-kind take on this classic story. Feverishly romantic, The Tales of Hoffmann is a feast of music, dance, and visual effects—and one of the most exhilarating film adaptations of an opera ever produced.

Review

This Powell and Pressburger follow-up to The Red Shoes has been given special treatment in its transfer to video, highlighting its lurid Technicolor. During intermission at the Nuremberg Opera House, a group of students gather in the bierkeller to drink, smoke and listen to the acclaimed poet Hoffman spin tales of love, loss, mystery and evil. Located somewhere between the poetic surrealism of Jean Cocteau and the highly stylized works of Peter Greenaway, this film version of Offenbach's operatic fantasy will appeal to music lovers and the casual viewer alike. Restored, full-length version. (Filmed in English)