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Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (The Red Shoes) create a phantasmagoric marriage of cinema and opera in this one-of-a-kind take on a classic story.
In Jacques Offenbach's fantasy opera The Tales of Hoffmann , a poet dreams of three women—a mechanical performing doll, a bejeweled siren and the consumptive daughter of a famous composer—all of whom break his heart in different ways.
A favourite of directors as diverse as Martin Scorsese and George Romero, Powell and Pressburger's feverishly romantic adaptation is a feast of music, dance, and visual effects, and one of the most exhilarating opera films ever produced.
The film is driven by music and the story told in song, but that's where the link to traditional opera ends. In every other respect—sets, costumes, lighting, and camerawork—it's a cinematic experience, and one unlike any other. The sets are boundless, apparently without ceilings or walls. The colors are brilliant. The singers are astounding. And the story is out-of- this-world. — Reel.com
For the first time in my life I was treated to Grand Opera where the beauty, power and scope of the music was equally matched by the visual presentation. — Cecil B. DeMille
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