Die Zauberflöte (TV Movie 1975)

Die Zauberflöte: Directed by Ingmar Bergman. With Josef Köstlinger, Irma Urrila, Håkan Hagegård, Elisabeth Erikson. A production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” is presented, this film which blurs the lines of it as a stage production – not only with aspects of the theater stage shown, but also the occasional shot of the audience members watching it, and the performers going through their backstage routines during intermission – and a movie as the set moves out from the confines of the stage. The actual story concerns Tamino, a prince, falling in love with Pamina solely from seeing her photograph, Pamina’s mother, the Queen of the Night, vowing that Pamina will be his if he rescues her from Sarastro, a demon who has captured her. On behalf of the Queen, three of her attendants, “ladies

“An excellent movie, one of my all-time favorites. I watch it more often than I listen to u0026quot;Die Zauberfloteu0026quot; on CD.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBergman changes the story slightly and shuffles some of the musical pieces around, but the result makes better sense than the original. Paminau0026#39;s struggle is presented as a custody battle between Mother and Father. The depression of wintertime in the far north is brought out clearly in the attempted-suicide scene. And all the knicknacks and props lying around…are pure Sweden! I didnu0026#39;t realize that until I visited Gothenburg last fall.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBergmanu0026#39;s comical, warm and cozy images really fit the music. Not that u0026quot;The Magic Fluteu0026quot; from Mozart needs much improving…after all, 9 out of 10 German composers agree that it is the u0026quot;perfectu0026quot; German Opera. But Bergmanu0026#39;s images go with it so well I consider it the perfect staging of the opera.”