The Tales of Hoffmann

1951

Action / Fantasy / Music / Musical / Romance

16
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 85% · 34 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 70% · 250 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.1/10 10 4670 4.7K

opera musical surrealism based on play or musical anthology ballet

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Plot summary

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.

Director

Michael Powell Photo
Michael Powell

Top cast

Robert Helpmann Photo
Robert Helpmann as Lindorf / Coppelius / Dapertutto / Dr Miracle
Moira Shearer Photo
Moira Shearer as Stella / Olympia
Mogens Wieth Photo
Mogens Wieth as Crespel
Pamela Brown Photo
Pamela Brown as Nicklaus
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
875.36 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
Approved
Subtitles
23.976 fps
2 hr 8 min
Seeds ...
1.95 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
Approved
Subtitles
23.976 fps
2 hr 8 min
Seeds 10

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by CinemaSerf 7 / 10

Though I really enjoyed watching this, it isn't

Though I really enjoyed watching this, it isn't really a film at all. Messrs. Powell and Pressburger have elicited the help of the supremely talented Christopher Challis and of the late Jacques Offenbach and basically filmed an augmented theatrical production of his eponymous, uncompleted, opera. They have assembled a curiously effective collection of gloriously clad acting talent - most of whom, aside from the narrator/composer himself in the form of Robert Rounseville, cannot actually sing - and proceeded to present us with something that is really quite beautiful to watch and listen to; but that is really not that different from that which we might see at Covent Garden. It features the landmark P&P colour schemes - vibrant, lively and bold with the use of light and the staging of this three part story all adding up to a delightful watch. If you know the libretto, then you will know this is about a rather down-in-the-dumps poet who is reflecting on his life and the choices his chosen career has forced him to make at the expense of his loves. The ballet dancer "Stella" (Moira Shearer) is his most recent love, but there have been others and all of them have, in some way, fallen foul of Robert Helpmann's excellent "Lindorf". There are some super puppetry effects and the sparing use of visual effects to remind us were are not in the grand circle, but for the most part this is a cleverly crafted and stylishly produced theatrical performance that I enjoyed, but would still have rather seen (and heard on a stage). It's still innovative and imaginative cinema that is well worth seeing, though.
Reviewed by MissSimonetta 7 / 10

Beautiful but exhausting

I was privy to two views of Powell and Pressburger's THE TALES OF HOFFMAN before watching it: filmmaker Martin Scorsese's passion for the film, stemming from childhood, and critic Imogen Sara Smith's confession that she found the movie "airless." Most viewers seem to agree with Scorsese. There is no doubt that the visuals are imaginative and gorgeous: if you loved the ballet sequence of THE RED SHOES, then this gives you two hours' worth of that same expressionistic sublimity.However, unlike THE RED SHOES, HOFMMAN is a much colder experience. For a film about the joys and sufferings of love and desire, the whole thing is quite remote, never reaching the emotional depth of other Powell and Pressburger films. The whole thing feels overlong and if you aren't an opera fan, you aren't likely to take to the music either.The three sequences which make up the runtime are uneven: the Olympia story is whimsical and fun though a touch overlong; the Giuletta sequence is gothic and well-paced; the Antonia sequence is just about the worst. Olympia and Giuletta benefit from having charismatic performers at their center in Moira Shearer and Ludmilla Tcherina, but Ann Ayars lacks any real personality as the dying songstress, making the last section such a drag to sit through.By the time the film came to its close, I was more than ready for it to be done with. No doubt, a lot went into the sets, costumes, special effects, and camera work. I must also give a shout-out to Robert Rounseville as Hoffman: he carries himself well throughout the long running time. But I'm sorry to be the naysayer: when a movie is over two hours long, I need more than gorgeous visuals to see me through it.
Reviewed by TravisD-2 8 / 10

A nice two hours

I liked the Red Shoes more, but Tales of Hoffmann is still an excellent Powell & Pressburger movie. While I did have trouble understanding the English opera (my first one at that), the episode character lists really helped. It's interesting to note that as Hoffmann tells his tales, the women in each episode become more "real." It did seem to drag on a bit at times, but I think it might be one of those movies that looks better with a second or third viewing. Still a wonderful and dazzling movie with amazing set & costume designs & expertly directed.

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