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Product Description
Miyako Yoshida dances the title role originally created for Margot Fonteyn in the hauntingly beautiful underwater world of Ondine, vividly brought to life by The Royal Ballet. Frederick Ashton's shimmering choreography, Lila de Nobili's impressionistic designs and Hans Werner Henze's specially commissioned, vibrant and inventive score, memorably combine to evoke the many moods and colours of the sea. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.
Product Description
Ondine
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Ondine" is one of those films that seems to have suffered from a lack of publicity, allowing it to slip quietly under the radar, which is rather a pity for such a charming film. Perhaps its cause was not helped by having only one recognised star, although there seems to be another one in the making, in the lovely form of Alicja Bachleda. It also has a strange offbeat story, which may have put some people off. The film has a haunting mix of Irish mythology, love story and mystery thriller, all in a contemporary setting. Perhaps it is the sort of beguiling film that only an Irishman with sufficient blarney could pull off?
The story concerns an Irish fisherman Syracuse, played by Colin Farrell, who catches a rather beautiful girl, played by Alicja Bachleda, in his fishing nets. Some blokes get all the luck! All I ever seem to catch is the occasional, very unnattractive looking dogfish. He sensibly decides not to throw her back in. The girl speaks with a strange accent and swims like a fish. Things get curiouser and curiouser. Is she a Selkie (mermaid) of Irish mythology? Is she perhaps just an illegal immigrant? The plot thickens and is complicated further as our fisherman predictably falls in love with his catch, and what red blooded male wouldn't. The water nyph sings like an angel, and Syracuse even begins to catch salmon and lobster, long thought fished out in the area. Who could fail to be enamoured! But as in the fairy stories of the brothers Grimm, there is a dark side to our story.
Director and writer Neil Jordan, and his star Colin Farrell have gone back to their roots for this one. The film was made in Castletownbere, in County Cork, Ireland, where Jordan lives. Farrell made one of his early TV appearances which was filmed in the village.... Read more ›
The story concerns an Irish fisherman Syracuse, played by Colin Farrell, who catches a rather beautiful girl, played by Alicja Bachleda, in his fishing nets. Some blokes get all the luck! All I ever seem to catch is the occasional, very unnattractive looking dogfish. He sensibly decides not to throw her back in. The girl speaks with a strange accent and swims like a fish. Things get curiouser and curiouser. Is she a Selkie (mermaid) of Irish mythology? Is she perhaps just an illegal immigrant? The plot thickens and is complicated further as our fisherman predictably falls in love with his catch, and what red blooded male wouldn't. The water nyph sings like an angel, and Syracuse even begins to catch salmon and lobster, long thought fished out in the area. Who could fail to be enamoured! But as in the fairy stories of the brothers Grimm, there is a dark side to our story.
Director and writer Neil Jordan, and his star Colin Farrell have gone back to their roots for this one. The film was made in Castletownbere, in County Cork, Ireland, where Jordan lives. Farrell made one of his early TV appearances which was filmed in the village.... Read more ›
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By I. Giles
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Unlike other reviewers I have come to this work without prior knowledge of the original 1958 performances given by the original coupling of Fonteyn and Somes and precisely envisioned as such by Ashton. Nor have I seen the alternative modern performance given by the younger and very gifted Rojo. This therefore gives me a possible advantage as I can respond to this production unfettered by such comparisons and secure in the assumption that it is unlikely that there will be a direct competitor for some considerable time, if at all. So on that basis therefore, the only relevant question to ask and to answer is, how does this production fare simply on its own merits and as a one-off opportunity to view and to purchase?
Considerable efforts have been made to reproduce the original conception. Ashton engaged the services of the young composer Henze to create the appropriate musical effects that he required. Henze moved to London for this period and worked on a day by day basis with Ashton spending the day writing the next section of music followed by evening work with Ashton playing, discussing and revising the music as Ashton required. This close collaboration resulted in a musical score that fully realised the concepts that Ashton had in mind and must be accepted by us as such regardless of whether one likes it or not. I personally find that it is totally effective in the context of the ballet although I would not find it rewarding as a separate sonic experience. To criticise the music on purely aural terms is quite wrong therefore - rather like saying that you don't like yoghurt because it isn't a car! So much for the music then.... Read more ›
Considerable efforts have been made to reproduce the original conception. Ashton engaged the services of the young composer Henze to create the appropriate musical effects that he required. Henze moved to London for this period and worked on a day by day basis with Ashton spending the day writing the next section of music followed by evening work with Ashton playing, discussing and revising the music as Ashton required. This close collaboration resulted in a musical score that fully realised the concepts that Ashton had in mind and must be accepted by us as such regardless of whether one likes it or not. I personally find that it is totally effective in the context of the ballet although I would not find it rewarding as a separate sonic experience. To criticise the music on purely aural terms is quite wrong therefore - rather like saying that you don't like yoghurt because it isn't a car! So much for the music then.... Read more ›
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Jose Brito
Format:DVD
After several years of research on Perrot's Ondine ( Cesare Pugni's music ) and on Giraudoux's play, F.Ashton set to work on a new ballet far from 19th century romanticism.And he chose a german composer to provide the score. Henze's intention,I'm sure,was to compose music that would sound like(or suggest) water but the result is a most boring,uninteresting,melodiousless flow of notes.Nevertheless, Margot Fonteyn (for whom Ashton created this Ondine)gave life to the nereid Ondine and danced the role with infinite grace,musicality,and elegance,'naive and loving'(as she described Ondine's character) displaying her immense genius as one can watch in Czinner's film (1959)"The Royal Ballet" dancing with Soames.This, unfortunately, is not the case of Miyako Yoshida on this DVD,a down-to-earth Ondine,much absorbed in her choreography to consider dancing her role more like a water spirit she supposedly is.I wish Tamara Rojo would dance on this DVD for I am sure she gave the role, intelligent and sensitive as she is, another colour.Watson dances beautifully but somehow emotionally distant from his partner.José Martin in Act 3 'divertissement' dances skillfully, once more showing his versatility.Costumes are the original ones designed by Lila de Nobili,top note for John Read's lighting design and the The Royal Ballet Corps.Filmed in High Definition.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By I. Giles
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Unlike other reviewers I have come to this work without prior knowledge of the original 1958 performances given by the original coupling of Fonteyn and Somes and precisely envisioned as such by Ashton. Nor have I seen the alternative modern performance given by the younger and very gifted Rojo. This therefore gives me a possible advantage as I can respond to this production unfettered by such comparisons and secure in the assumption that it is unlikely that there will be a direct competitor for some considerable time, if at all. So on that basis therefore, the only relevant question to ask and to answer is, how does this production fare simply on its own merits and as a one-off opportunity to view and to purchase?
Considerable efforts have been made to reproduce the original conception. Ashton engaged the services of the young composer Henze to create the appropriate musical effects that he required. Henze moved to London for this period and worked on a day by day basis with Ashton spending the day writing the next section of music followed by evening work with Ashton playing, discussing and revising the music as Ashton required. This close collaboration resulted in a musical score that fully realised the concepts that Ashton had in mind and must be accepted by us as such regardless of whether one likes it or not. I personally find that it is totally effective in the context of the ballet although I would not find it rewarding as a separate sonic experience. To criticise the music on purely aural terms is quite wrong therefore - rather like saying that you don't like yoghurt because it isn't a car! So much for the music then.... Read more ›
Considerable efforts have been made to reproduce the original conception. Ashton engaged the services of the young composer Henze to create the appropriate musical effects that he required. Henze moved to London for this period and worked on a day by day basis with Ashton spending the day writing the next section of music followed by evening work with Ashton playing, discussing and revising the music as Ashton required. This close collaboration resulted in a musical score that fully realised the concepts that Ashton had in mind and must be accepted by us as such regardless of whether one likes it or not. I personally find that it is totally effective in the context of the ballet although I would not find it rewarding as a separate sonic experience. To criticise the music on purely aural terms is quite wrong therefore - rather like saying that you don't like yoghurt because it isn't a car! So much for the music then.... Read more ›
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3.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely Irish film
Enjoyable tale with a twist at the end .beautiful landscapes of south west Ireland
But even for a dubliner like Farrell his "cork " accent was all over the place
But even for a dubliner like Farrell his "cork " accent was all over the place
Published 2 months ago by helenbrophy
3.0 out of 5 stars
dated
not what i expected but my wife enjoyed it. maybe it was meant to look dark and sombre but it looked more like apoor recording.
Published 2 months ago by titainium knees
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bit sad and romantic story
My boyfriend convinced me to get the movie as he had heard about the love story of the Irish fisherman and the Sea Nymph before and he liked it a lot. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Eva
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ondine
I found it ok. It is worth buying it if you like the genre. Also good for the money invested and the delivery.
Published 4 months ago by Brother Jung
4.0 out of 5 stars
Is she or isn't she
An Irish fisherman played by Colin Farrell hauls up an interesting prize in his trawler net. It is a beautiful creature named Ondine (Alicja Bachleda) Ondine means from the sea. Read more
Published 21 months ago by bernie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unknown Film that slipped under the radar. Excellent.
A fantastic bit of story telling with everyone well cast.
Syracuse is a simple fisherman who catches a beautiful and mysterious women in his trawler's nets (likeable... Read more
Syracuse is a simple fisherman who catches a beautiful and mysterious women in his trawler's nets (likeable... Read more
Published on 30 April 2011 by Renzo
3.0 out of 5 stars
Easy viewing
This is an enjoyable, unchallenging film which is in keeping with the tranquil, relaxing scenery on the west coast of Ireland. Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2011 by Sizzle
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bumper catch for an ex bad boy's boat in a beautiful setting
Coming from a fishing family I was especially fascinated with the story. What wonderful scenery and a gorgeous little cabin by the water, I want to move there. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2011 by Mrs. Katharine Kirby
1.0 out of 5 stars
disappointing and predictable
This was a great disappointment. First of all you cannot understand the characters (subtitles in English would help), secondly the characters are very unconvincing. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2011 by A. T.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A believable fairy tale for adults!
I think that I am correct in saying that this is the only current review which relates specifically to the Blu-ray release of this film? Read more
Published on 7 Dec 2010 by Nigel Mc
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