Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed this Kenneth Brannagh film of Mozart's "The Magic Flute".
We are keen opera goers and have seen the opera a number of times in the theatre, as well as having a CD recording at home. So, you might think, we were bound to like it....perhaps you're right, but Brannagh's adaptation is extremely modern and may not be to the taste of all traditional opera goers.
If you have ever seen a Matthew Bourne ballet then you will understand what I mean when I say that Brannagh has done for "The Magic Flute" what Bourne did for "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker".
If the comparison isn't appropriate for you then what Brannagh has done is to take an established opera and given it some modern zing by bringing the action into a reasonably modern setting (First World War trench warfare), procuring a sharp modern translation from Stephen Fry and taking full advantage of the gamut of modern film trickery.
The result is a rich visual and aural extravaganza: opera works best when it transcends just the singing and becomes a multi-media extravaganza. Brannagh has certainly created such a feast with this production: the settings and action are memorable so that, allied to some superb singing, the result is a wonderful, sumptuous opera film.
It will be interesting to see whether non-opera fans will enjoy the film. I'm not sure that they will: whilst the diction of the singers is near-perfect, so that you can follow the dialogue reasonably easily, the essential elements of "The Magic Flute" plot are still there...and therein lies the rub: the magical elements of the tale are easy to believe due to Brannagh's clever production and he has done well to create a meaningful relationship between The Queen of the Night and Sarastro but, even so, the plot retains some of its loopiness which may spoil the film for some who are expecting a coherent plot.
For everyone else who is just "happy to go with the flow" then the result should be a thoroughly enjoyable film!
We are keen opera goers and have seen the opera a number of times in the theatre, as well as having a CD recording at home. So, you might think, we were bound to like it....perhaps you're right, but Brannagh's adaptation is extremely modern and may not be to the taste of all traditional opera goers.
If you have ever seen a Matthew Bourne ballet then you will understand what I mean when I say that Brannagh has done for "The Magic Flute" what Bourne did for "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker".
If the comparison isn't appropriate for you then what Brannagh has done is to take an established opera and given it some modern zing by bringing the action into a reasonably modern setting (First World War trench warfare), procuring a sharp modern translation from Stephen Fry and taking full advantage of the gamut of modern film trickery.
The result is a rich visual and aural extravaganza: opera works best when it transcends just the singing and becomes a multi-media extravaganza. Brannagh has certainly created such a feast with this production: the settings and action are memorable so that, allied to some superb singing, the result is a wonderful, sumptuous opera film.
It will be interesting to see whether non-opera fans will enjoy the film. I'm not sure that they will: whilst the diction of the singers is near-perfect, so that you can follow the dialogue reasonably easily, the essential elements of "The Magic Flute" plot are still there...and therein lies the rub: the magical elements of the tale are easy to believe due to Brannagh's clever production and he has done well to create a meaningful relationship between The Queen of the Night and Sarastro but, even so, the plot retains some of its loopiness which may spoil the film for some who are expecting a coherent plot.
For everyone else who is just "happy to go with the flow" then the result should be a thoroughly enjoyable film!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I must confess I was not inclined to enjoy this film very much. Could a translated Magic Flute be a good Magic Flute? The answer is yes. Stephen Fry's adaptation succeeds in communicating the story -- what a versatile person Fry is!
As to Branagh's conception of the subject and music, it is very good in its creativity. Oh that entrance of the Queen of the Night on a tank! Oh Papageno flying into those giant red lips, indebted to the giant breast of 'Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask'! Oh that hansome Sarastro-Dumbledore, fighting against death and evil!
As to the singers-actors, they are really great. A daring gesture: a casting in which the only familiar face is good old Liz Smith. And you still love them all. Take that, Hollywood!
My only objection to the DVD: an European production with no subtitles! Come on, how expensive would that have been?
As to Branagh's conception of the subject and music, it is very good in its creativity. Oh that entrance of the Queen of the Night on a tank! Oh Papageno flying into those giant red lips, indebted to the giant breast of 'Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask'! Oh that hansome Sarastro-Dumbledore, fighting against death and evil!
As to the singers-actors, they are really great. A daring gesture: a casting in which the only familiar face is good old Liz Smith. And you still love them all. Take that, Hollywood!
My only objection to the DVD: an European production with no subtitles! Come on, how expensive would that have been?
49 of 54 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Even as a lover of opera and a keen cinema goer, I was totally unprepared for the visual and audio feast that greeted us when we attended a Preview of this film in Cambridge (followed by a question and answer session for the audience with Kenneth Branagh).
The opening scenes had me spellbound and the settings, acting and vocals were breathtaking. Any concerns I may have had about the First World War setting were unfounded and I would be surprised if Mozart purists have any issues when all the performances are so excellent!
I cannot wait to get my hands on the DVD.
The opening scenes had me spellbound and the settings, acting and vocals were breathtaking. Any concerns I may have had about the First World War setting were unfounded and I would be surprised if Mozart purists have any issues when all the performances are so excellent!
I cannot wait to get my hands on the DVD.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Also this magic flute is sung in English - the setting is superb
Kenneth Charles Branagh is a great stage director kown for his interpretations of Shakespeare
This is his first opera stage setting I'v seen. Read more
This is his first opera stage setting I'v seen. Read more
Published 2 months ago by nico.tillmann
Perfectly charming
The incredibly dull looking picture on the front cover of this dvd belies what lies within.
Here we have an beautifully sung version of Mozart's 'Magic Flute', with an... Read more
Here we have an beautifully sung version of Mozart's 'Magic Flute', with an... Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. van Beek
Wot no subtitles?
Yes, I know it's in English, but I don't think I'm the only person who has difficulty in understanding opera even whent it's sung in my mother tongue. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Mark Lamb
New to opera and I loved this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am new to opera and discovering how wonderful it can be, this was no disappointment. Kenneth Brannagh and Stephen Fry did an amazing job. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Fred
kids love it too!
I've been trying to inspire my 8yr old with her flute practice so I got her this film as a treat. She absolutely loves it; the beautiful princess, love story, fabulous costumes.. Read more
Published 12 months ago by C Coombes
Mozart For All
It's bizarre - the idea of transposing a classic 18th century opera like The Magic Flute to the trenches of the Western Front in World War I. Read more
Published 17 months ago by M. J. Nelson
The Magic Flute (2006) DVD Branagh/Kaiser/Petrova/Pape
Set during World War One, the special effects and colours are brilliant. A white Butterfly flits across fields and trenches, and is echoed by cobalt blue Bi-Planes appearing out of... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Derek Vernon-morris
Not quite a "magic" flute ...
Whether you are an opera-lover or not, this DVD is well worth buying, especially at this bargain price. Read more
Published 23 months ago by M. Joyce
High quality singing, but ...
I wasn't enamored by the WWI setting. I am not sure what it adds to make a wartime setting and given the libretto is full of masonic symbolism anyway, it makes it quite muddled to... Read more
Published 24 months ago by maximus
The Magic Flute [2006] [DVD]
Fun and quirky interpretation by Kenneth Branagh. Don't expect high opera, but expect to have fun. Performed in English. Musical performances exceptional. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2010 by Jesse Hasty
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
