# Kenneth Branagh's "The Magic Flute"!?



## GrosseFugue (Nov 30, 2011)

I just learned about this film: 




Why, why, why has this not been released in the US? No DVD, nothing. Enjoyed
the highlights video; they did a real good job with the translation into English;
really cheeky and funny, e.g., "If only every girl was more bird-brained, then every
girl would be my friend." :lol:

Has anyone seen this?

It had a 27 million dollars budget and was directed by a brilliant film-maker/actor, yet gets
no notice at all. 

PS -- I'm watching it on youtube now; the entire film has apparently been uploaded. Thank god for youtube! It looks great! Just watch the opening overture with the battlefield scene and see if you can resist. Definitely beats out The Muppets, which despite all its dumb songs and cheesiness, got a major release and made a ton of money.  (I couldn't get through 10 minutes of it, before it drove me crazy.)


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

Kenneth Branagh did a great job with _Hamlet_. Just looking at the highlights video, though, it appears many plot details have been changed for this adaptation. May be worth a look nevertheless. Can you post a link to that full version on YouTube?


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

It is in English! 

The highlights look good. I would also be interested to see the whole thing.


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## notreally (Oct 25, 2011)

Part 1: 



Part 2:


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

Oh wow! Thanks, notreally. I am loving this, although when the opening scene rolled on I was really puzzled, but it works so beautifully. 

The singing is glorious and the diction is excellent. The 'staging' is also magnificent.


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## GrosseFugue (Nov 30, 2011)

Here's a terrific documentary on the making of the film: 




It's interesting that Branagh had no knowledge of opera or Classical Music until he got offered to direct this. Apparently he only knew Pop music, "not even Indie stuff." Also, the actor who played Tamino had to drop a lot of weight to look plausible on film. The difference is remarkable! From dork to jock! This also touches on a post I made on the Wagner thread about how it helps when opera singers look like their parts. Though obviously the need is much heightened for film. The actor says how in opera everyone is at least 10-15 pounds overweight, while in film people need to be 10-15 pounds underweight.

Oh, I'm in love with the singer/actress who played Pamina!  Amy Carson!!!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

See my rant here.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

I noticed tonight my cable provider is actually providing this on-demand this month in HD. I may rent it.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Couchie said:


> I noticed tonight my cable provider is actually providing this on-demand this month in HD. I may rent it.


My advice: *don't.*


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> My advice: *don't.*


...but it's an opera re-set in WWI and not WWII. That's UNHEARD of!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Couchie said:


> ...but it's an opera re-set in WWI and not WWII. That's UNHEARD of!


If you read my rant I explained why it is bad.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> If you read my rant I explained why it is bad.


Yeah but you're not really my go-to person for musical advice (Ligeti... pfffft )


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Couchie said:


> Yeah but you're not really my go-to person for musical advice (Ligeti... pfffft )


My advice: I should be your go-to person for musical advice. I bet I know more about Anthony Pateras than you do.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I was just on YouTube browsing some performances of Mozart operas when I came across a film version of Die Zauberflöte made in 2006. This weird production seems to be set in trench warefare in WWI which is definitely the most obvious place to set a light-hearted singspiel about love, honesty and courage! In act 1 probably the most striking part is when The Queen of the Night appears to sing her recitive and aria, ON A TANK!!!! I mean, what is the world coming to???
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I've actually come to disagree with what I said in the second paragraph though.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Just watched this. Sorry COAG but it was *INCREDIBLE*. Opera film of the decade! WATCH IT!


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## eorrific (May 14, 2011)

This film must be good, because where else would you see a flying Queen of the Night? Can Diana Damrau hover let alone fly? Umm... NO! 

Watched it for the sake of hearing/seeing Rene Pape.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Couchie said:


> Just watched this. Sorry COAG but it was *INCREDIBLE*. Opera film of the decade! WATCH IT!


I've seen better opera films.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I've seen better opera films.


Dubious - Discuss


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Just ordered it from a certain big online store for three quid including postage...Its got to be worth a punt at that price!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Couchie said:


> Dubious - Discuss


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## karenpat (Jan 16, 2009)

I saw this in cinema back in the day..very entertaining. However I wasn't AS interested in opera/classical music then as I am now, so I suppose I watched it more because it was Mozart (one of the few composers I had heard any music of) and it was a film and a very available, engaging piece - I didn't really care about or know any of the singers (except for Silvia Moi since she's Norwegian and it was all over the newspapers!). Maybe I should try to get a hold of it somehow and watch it again.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Well, I got a chance to watch this yesterday and its very good. I wouldnt say its great, but its worth getting just for the inventive setting and cinematic techniques brought to bear in a classic opera.


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## crmoorhead (Apr 6, 2011)

Also just finished watching and really love this interpretation. I have seen a few other opera movies, but they are so seldomly made that all the ones I have seen seem to be badly dated. The modern 21st century cinematography and sound are a refreshing change. The whole movie also seems to explode with colour. The only downside is that The Magic Flute's plot is still awful!


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

i just saw a clip of this. what garbge!!! Ach ich fuhls worst rendition i've ever heard. I'm not going to waste my time watching another clip if that was allowed to make it off the cutting room floor.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

You have to have be filled with the human spirit and have an imagination to get it.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Obwan has a point. As I recall (some time since I saw it) some of the singing is not top class, however engaging the film. The Pamina wasn't even a professional opera singer, having graduated recently from Cambridge.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> Obwan has a point. As I recall (some time since I saw it) some of the singing is not top class, however engaging the film. The Pamina wasn't even a professional opera singer, having graduated recently from Cambridge.


Yeah René Pape... what a hack


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## AmericanGesamtkunstwerk (May 9, 2011)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


>


that looks awesome! i'm glad I found this, thanks. Have you seen Werner Herzog's Woyzeck? the visual style actually here kind of reminds me of that.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Couchie said:


> Yeah René Pape... what a hack


That's why I was careful to say *some *of the singing.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

AmericanGesamtkunstwerk said:


> that looks awesome! i'm glad I found this, thanks. Have you seen Werner Herzog's Woyzeck? the visual style actually here kind of reminds me of that.


No I haven't. Is it on YouTube? Could you send me a link?


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> That's why I was careful to say *some *of the singing.


You try singing in the middle of trench warfare and see how easy it is


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Couchie said:


> You try singing in the middle of trench warfare and see how easy it is


That's no excuse. The singers in Death of Klinghoffer did it live in real time in the middle of a hijack on a cruise ship and sounded fantastic.

And I'll have you know that I can sound equally awful wherever I sing.


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