- Actors: Moira Shearer, Robert Rounseville, Ludmilla Tchérina, Ann Ayars, Pamela Brown
- Directors: Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
- Writers: Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell, Dennis Arundell, E.T.A. Hoffmann, Jules Barbier
- Format: NTSC
- Language: English
- Number of tapes: 1
- MPAA Rating:
- Studio: Morningstar Ent.
- VHS Release Date: Nov 14 2000
- Run Time: 128 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
- ASIN: 6302919754
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#1,722 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
- #4 in Video > Musicals & Performing Arts > Opera
- #9 in Video > Musicals & Performing Arts > Classical
- #27 in Video > Drama > By Genre > Musicals
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
Jacques Offenbach died with his masterpiece not quite finished, and that has made The Tales of Hoffmann a predestined victim for adapters who have dropped some numbers, inserted others, altered the plot, fiddled with the casting, and changed the order of scenes. It has survived and kept its essential identity through many adaptations because its music is so witty and compelling, its imagination so vivid and varied, its story of the poet Hoffmann's unhappy loves so intriguing they can transcend such tinkering.
A critical performing edition prepared by musicologist Michael Kaye has made it possible to come close to Offenbach's original intentions after more than a century of misunderstanding, and major companies have begun to use that edition, but so far no universally satisfying production of it has reached video. An Opera de Lyon production, using Kaye's research but with a radically untraditional staging, has won wholehearted approval from some fans but unequivocal rejection from more.
As adaptations go, this 1951 film is the best compromise currently available on video and will always be a classic in its own right, even when a more faithful treatment becomes available. It drops some of Offenbach's music and includes some that is spurious, and it changes the plot (Hoffman's beloved Stella is made a dancer--Moira Shearer--not a singer). But at least it treats the story with affection, imagination, and technical expertise. The music presents only highlights of the score, but it is in the hands of a great conductor, Sir Thomas Beecham. The movie is essentially the work of the same team that produced The Red Shoes (directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger); it has the same kind of imaginative appeal and its technical resourcefulness is still exciting, still on the cutting edge despite its age. I expect eventually to add a more faithful Tales of Hoffmann to my video collection, but I will never stop enjoying this one. --Joe McLellan
Video Details
A brilliant integration of dance, story, and music," is what Variety calls this lavish screen adaptation of Jacques Offenbach's phantasmal opera. Robert Helpman (Henry V) and Moira Shearer (The Red Shoes) are included among bravura performances from some of the greatest ballet dancers and opera singers ever to grace the stage or screen. Lovingly restored, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's glorious production includes twelve minutes cut from the original theatrical release. The Tales of Hoffman
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
triumph of opera-on-film,
By
This review is from: Tales of Hoffmann (DVD)
This is a must-have for anyone who enjoys great film makers creating cinematic art out of opera. It's definitely not the right DVD if you're looking for an accurate document of "Les Contes...". There are massive cuts throughout, the basics are screwed around (eg. Stella, Hoffman's main squeeze, has been transformed from an opera diva to a dancer) and it's all sung in English. But this film ranks, in my opinion, among the best opera films, up there with Losey's Don Giovanni and Syberberg's Parsifal, because Powell and Pressburger have actually tried to make an inventive, artistically challenging film, rather than merely filming a live performance. Highly recommended.P.s. In the same vein, I would also recommend "U-Carmen", a stunning film of Bizet's masterpiece, transplanted brilliantly to a South African township.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic combination of music and dance,
By alberto Behar (Scarborough, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Tales of Hoffman (VHS Tape)
Being very familiar with the opera, I found this combination of music and dance fascinating. Acting and singing of the singers is superb as is the dancing. Orchestra and tempi are just right: no surprise, since John Barbiroli is the conductor...Given, there are some deviations from the original opera, but, who cares, when the result is as is. Strongly recommended for both dance and opera lovers!
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Extravaganza of Music, Color and Beauty,
This review is from: The Tales of Hoffman (VHS Tape)
As a great lover of art, music and ballet, I have to say that this is my absolute favorite dance film - a true must-see, and must-own. Offenbach's music is played with great sensitivity and skill, the sets, staging and costumes are easily the finest I have seen on stage or screen, and the dancing of Moira Shearer, Leonide Massine and the cast is perfection. It was not easy for me to locate a copy of this film, and when at last I did, I paid a hefty price. But absolutely worth it - I would have paid twice the amount without hesitation. This film takes "The Red Shoes" and its creativity to a level without precedent - it is like a dream caught on film, only more interesting. Some of the design concepts are almost inhuman in their genius. This is truly a film that must be seen to be believed. Although I am no expert on the opera, I will say that I have a small knowledge, and great love for, the music of Jacques Offenbach. Here it is presented with wonderful precision and feeling, and the voice of Robert Rounseville is showcased to great advantage.
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