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The Tales of Hoffmann
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8.0
/10
2,046 Ratings

THE TALES OF HOFFMANN

Directed by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
United Kingdom, 1951
Fantasy, Musical, Music
  • 133133 minutes

Synopsis

A melancholy poet reflects on three women he loved and lost in the past—a mechanical performing doll, a seductive Venetian courtesan, and a soprano who sings herself to death—all of whom broke his heart in different ways.

Synopsis

A melancholy poet reflects on three women he loved and lost in the past—a mechanical performing doll, a seductive Venetian courtesan, and a soprano who sings herself to death—all of whom broke his heart in different ways.

Our take

Powell & Pressburger’s resplendent Technicolor adaptation of the E.T.A. Hoffmann opera reveals, once more, the duo’s boundless cinematic imagination. Unabashedly opulent in its flamboyant colour-coded scenes, which daringly combine theatre, dance, opera and film, it’s a total feast for the senses.