gavin6942 A melancholy poet reflects on three women he loved and lost in the past: a mechanical performing doll, a Venetian courtesan, and the consumptive daughter of a celebrated composer.Although I am not an opera fan by any stretch of the imagination, I have to admire this film. The vibrant colors in a time before color was common, the makeup, costumes, camera angles and tricks to create a world of dreams. One would think this would be near the top of many classic lists, but it does not seem to be... in fact, it was not even one of the first Michael Powell films I saw. Not even close.What surprised me the most was actually not the film itself, but the fact George A. Romero praises it on the Criterion disc. That is quite a strange thing. Not that Romero is a fan of the film -- that makes some deal of sense. But the fact Criterion thought to track him down for the release? How did that come about?

moonspinner55 Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's misfired attempt to co-mingle the balletic magnificence of their success "The Red Shoes" with the Jacques Offenbach light opera about a German student who gains inspiration through romantic heartbreak. The fiery imagination which fuels the Archers team is only in sporadic evidence here; their uncanny filmmaking techniques (and a playful, often peculiar sense of humor) results in some marvelous bits and pieces, but perhaps the literal structure (or non-structure, as it were) of filming an opera threw the two men off. Editor Reginald Mills gives us some beautiful close-ups of the singers and dancers in a staccato rhythm, and they are worth waiting for, but the expected surreality of the enterprise is lacking, and the music itself peaks and ebbs. ** from ****

basilisksamuk I love the films of Powell and Pressburger beyond all reason and at least three of Powell's films would make it into my all time top 10 favourite movies. Tales of Hoffmann is one of the few of Powell's films I hadn't previously seen so I got the DVD and sat down to watch expecting to be blown away as usual. However, my eager anticipation turned to boredom very quickly. It's hard to admit it but I just didn't like this film.The main problem for me is the music. I just hated most of it. Every now and then there's the odd fragment of a tune that was OK but for the most part it just sounded like hideous caterwauling. I've tried over the years to get into opera but in the end I realized I just don't like it and there's no point in pretending otherwise. I never want to hear this music again. The fact that the actors were syncing their lips to singers who had pre-recorded the sound didn't help either.But it isn't just the music. The whole thing is very stagey anyway and despite the expected gorgeous use of Technicolor and some beautiful set pieces it just drags. Imagine watching two hours of MTV during which time you enjoy just 2 or 3 videos and the rest is stuff you hate both musically and visually. (Actually MTV is always like that).I did like the ballet sequences and I especially liked the sections featuring Moira Shearer.So I still love Powell's films beyond all reason but I have to be honest and say this one I hated.

mr_hunchback Commendable for its avant garde techniques, this film was no doubt appreciated by Kenneth Anger, Fellini and Mario Bava. The first two acts are pretty solid - Olympia is whimsical surrealism and Giulietta is sensual surrealism. The Antonia segment torpedoes the entire project and I strongly suggest viewers quit at the end of act two, while they're ahead. Powell either ran out of money, ran out of inspiration, or both. Hoffmann's character is essentially written out of the third act and Powell focuses at length on Anne Ayars - a dumpy old thing with no screen presence. For a director who always discovered great looking talent, from Deborah Kerr to Helen Mirren, it seems suspicious that he would want Ayars in one of his most colorful films. One can pretty accurately surmise that she was sleeping with one of the money bags involved in the production. It makes for pretty miserable finale.For Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang fans, this film contains a big animated role for Robert Helpmann who played the Child Catcher.