As a member of a couple of film societies I’m often asked “What is your favorite film?”. To which I usually respond that I like many different films each having its own merits and I can’t really choose just one. Yet if I had to, it would probably be Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1951 extravaganza THE TALES OF HOFFMANN. No other film has managed to combine most of my favorite elements the way this one has.
It has fantasy, classical music, dance, stunning camerawork, editing, and imaginative visuals all blended into a seamless whole. In fact this film is really the first music video as the score was recorded first and then the movie was shot to fit it afterwards which makes it essentially a silent film. This allowed the filmmakers total freedom to do what they wanted from a visual standpoint as cameras and performers could be manuevered without fear of making noise. I think I can safely say that no other film looks like this one.
It also doesn’t hurt that Jacques Offenbach’s opera on which this is based is one of my favorite classical works (although this version edited by Sir Thomas Beecham is not for opera purists) while E.T.A. Hoffmann is one of my favorite fantasy writers (three of his stories THE SANDMAN, A NEW YEAR’S EVE ADVENTURE and RATH KRESPEL are used). This makes it even more remarkable that a single film could do justice to so many of my favorite likes.
This DVD release from Criterion is up to their usual high standards offering a crystal clear picture with excellent sound plus a host of extras including subtitles for all the dialogue and arias which enable you to understand what is going on with the story. I have had this film on VHS for years and have waited patiently for it to come out on DVD. It had been announced some time ago but it’s great to finally have it here at last. While not a film for everyone, if you’re into filmmaking that works on multiple levels and appreciate a wide variety of art and classical music than this is the movie for you.
The Capsule Critic 