The Magic Flute details
| Format: | PG DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Joseph Kaiser, Amy Carson, Rene Pape, Lyubov Petrova, Benjamin Jay Davis, Silvia Moi, Tom Randle, Ben Uttley |
| Director: | Kenneth Branagh |
| Genres: | Music/Musical - Musical, Opera/Operetta, Sci-Fi/Fantasy - Fantasy - General |
| Studio: | REVOLVER |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
The Magic Flute |
PG Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 2 hours 15 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 31 Mar 2008 |
| Main languages: | English |
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The Magic Flute
By a customer from Lytham St. Annes , 15 Apr 2008THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide
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(41)Interesting production, terrible sound
By a customer from London , 19 Mar 2010I enjoyed this fun production. The acting was generally good but the sound balance was terrible! The orchestral sound was clear but voices distant and sounded as though in a bathroom which led to losing some of the libretto. The 3 ladies in particular were very unbalanced, 3rd lady dry and present but 1st virtually inaudible and washy. This was a shame as there was some very lovely singing.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Not quite an opera, not quite a straight movie, but a wonderful mix
By rosegirl (1 review) from Manchester , 21 Feb 2010Sadly after reading some of the other reviews I can see that this film falls between two stools. Opera buffs dislike because it is too filmic, and opera haters dislike it because it is too operatic.
Its a pity, as the film on its own merits is wonderful. Stephen Fry's libretto is faithful enough to the original, yet sounds beautiful itself. Brannagh carefully follows the plot of the Magic Flute (such that there is) and yet adds some beautiful, sometimes surreal touches of his own, making sure it never looks anything other than a feature film. Sadly this is one of its weak spots, as the CGI at times looks a little cartoony.
The leads are well cast, and give carefully nuanced performances that are sometimes theatrical, sometimes intimate depending on the mood at the time. Rene Pape especially holds everything together, as a statesmanlike Sarastro.
I really enjoyed this cinematic version of Mozart's opera. Opera buffs may prefer to get a version live on a stage instead, or perhaps Bergman's version of the same work, which presents a much more staged, theatrical feel.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Branagh's Magic Flute
By a customer from Kidderminster , 02 Jan 2010THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide
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A gallant flop
By nibor (62 reviews) from London , 04 Nov 2009A nice idea which just didn't work. Setting a comedy in World War I wasn't really very clever since there isn't anything very funny about the thousands dying in the trenches, notwithstanding Blackadder. The film was muddled and desperately needed subtitles. Although the singing was in English the words, especially those sung by the female members of the cast, were largely indecipherable. The music itself was well played and the singers good, apart from their diction, but I'd prefer to see this wonderful opera in a more conventional setting.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Stunning
By katyh (4 reviews) from London , 10 Sep 2009Fantastically directed and visually it's just beautiful. A good introduction to opera for those who don't know much about it but will satisfy the opera buffs as well. The libretto is great fun (written by Stephen Fry) with lots of puns.- Was this review helpful to you?
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